" '  J-  ■ 


LIBEARY 

OF  THE 

Theological   Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


BX  9225  .M5  1870 
Bonar,  Horatius,  1808-1889. 
Life  of  the  Rev.  John  Milne 
of  Perth 


A      DONATION 

FROM 

deceived  . 


LIFE 


OF 


REV.    JOHN    MILNE,  M.A. 


'  My  covenant  was  with  him  lite  and  peace  ; 
And  I  gave  them  to  him 
For  the  fear  wherewith  he  feared  Me, 
And  stood  in  awe  of  my  name. 

The  law  of  truth  was  in  his  mouth, 

And  iniquity  was  not  found  in  his  lips : 

In  peace  and  uprightness  he  walked  with  Me. 

And  many  did  he  turn  from  iniquity.' — 

Mal.  ii.  5. 


LIFE 


OF    THE 


REV.    JOHN    MILNE 


OF    PERTH. 


HORATIUS    BONAR,    D.D. 


'  Fo7-  my  name's  sake  thou  hast  laboured,  and  hast  uot  fainted.' 
Rev.  ii.  3. 


FIFTH    EDITION. 


NEW     YORK : 

ROBERT  CARTER  &  BROTHERS,  530  BROADWAY. 

1870. 


MURRAY  AND  GIBB,   EDINBURGH, 
>'  1.,  i  ERS  TO  HER  MAJESTY'S  STATIONERY  OFFICE 


PREFACE. 


IT  is  not  a  eulogy  that  I  wish  to  write,  but  a  record.  I 
should  like  to  show  the  man,  not  to  execute  a  piece 
of  sculpture. 

In  doing  this,  it  will  be  needful  to  introduce  'com- 
panions in  labour,' — from  him  who  died  first,  Robert 
M'Cheyne,  to  him  who  went  last,  William  Burns ;  with 
others  still  serving  here  below.  Some  names  may  have 
been  left  out ;  but  it  was  found  impossible  to  make  men- 
tion of  all.  The  religious  history  of  the  last  forty  years 
in  Scotland  remains  to  be  written.  Biographies,  like  the 
present,  are  contributions  to  this. 

I  fear  I  may  not  have  been  quite  accurate  chronologi- 
cally at  times ;  but  the  narrative  is  not  at  all  affected  by 
this.  As  very  few  of  Mr.  Milne's  letters  are  fully  dated, 
I  was  occasionally  at  a  loss  in  regard  to  order  and  time.1 
Several  things  have  been  thrown  in  purposely  out  of  order, 
because  needing  to  be  grouped,  for  the  illustration  of  some 
particular  feature  of  character. 

1  In  going  over  a  pretty  large  correspondence,  I  am  surprised  to 
find  how  many  letters  of  various  men  in  various  positions,  especially 
ministers,  are  undated ;  their  date  being  only  ascertainable  by  the 
post-office  mark.  I  notice  that  all  Mr.  M  'Cheyne's  are  very  carefully 
dated. 


vi  PREFACE. 

I  have  to  thank  the  brethren  who  have  so  kindly- 
trusted  me  with  their  correspondence,  and  thereby  enabled 
me  to  sketch  the  course  of  one  so  '  greatly  beloved'  by 
us  all. 

In  a  day  of  bustle  and  whirl,  like  ours,  it  may  be  well 
to  study  the  life  of  one  who  stood  in  the  midst  of  all  this, 
yet  was  not  of  it ;  who  was  never  for  an  hour  drawn  into 
it ;  but  sought  all  his  days  to  draw  others  out  of  it,  into 
the  calm  and  joy  which  he  himself  so  fully  knew. 

In  an  age  of  false  ideals  and  hero-worship,  it  will  be 
found  good,  also,  to  mark  one  who  took,  as  his  great 
model,  both  in  service  and  suffering,  the  Son  of  God ; 
who  knew,  above  most,  what  intimacy  with  Him  could 
do,  in  moulding  character,  and  in  producing  a  true  and 
telling  life. 


The  Grange,  Edinburgh, 
October  1868.. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

BIRTH — STUDIES — REMOVAL  TO  PERTH,   1 807- 1 839,  .  .  .         I 

CHAPTER  II. 

SETTLEMENT  IN  PERTH,   1839-1S4O, 12 

CHAPTER  III. 

FIRST  YEARS  IN  PERTH,   1S4O-1842, 20 

CHAPTER  IV. 

LETTERS  AND  REMINISCENCES,   1S4O-1842,  .  .  .  .29 

CHAPTER  V. 

TIMES  OF  REFRESHING,   184O-184I, 44 

CHAPTER  VI. 

CHURCH  MOVEMENTS  AND  LETTERS,   184I-1S43,  .  .  -74 

CHAPTER  VII. 

TIMES  OF  WAITING  UPON  GOD — VARIOUS  YEARs,         .  .  -94 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

EVANGELISTIC  TOUES — VARIOUS  YEARS, IO7 


vin  CONTENTS. 

PACE 

CHAPTER  IX. 

MARRIAGE  AND  FAMILY  SORROWS,   1847-1853,    ....    I24 

CHAPTER  X. 

THOUGHTS  OF  INDIA,  AND  CORRESPONDENCE  ABOUT  IT,    .  .    I44 

CHAPTER  XI. 

DECISION  AS  TO  INDIA,   1853, 167 

CHAPTER  XII. 

FAREWELLS — VOYAGE,   1853,       .......    182 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

IN  INDIA,   1853-1854, I98 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

IN  INDIA,  1S54-1S57, 228 

CHAPTER  XV. 

RESETTLEMENT  IN  PERTH,  AND  WORK  THERE,   185S-1866,  .    280 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

ILLNESSES  AND  LABOURS,   1 866- 1 867, 34I 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

HIS  LAST  MONTHS,   1868, 371 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

MISCELLANEOUS  GATHERINGS — VARIOUS  YEARS,         .  .  .   398 

INSCRIPTION  ON  MONUMENT, 434 

APPENDIX,  ,  , 435 


LIFE 


OF 


Rev.  John  Milne,  m.a. 


CHAPTER    I. 
1807— 1839. 

BIRTH — STUDIES — SETTLEMENT  IN  PERTH. 

WITHIN  six  months  of  each  other  died  three  men 
whom  the  Church  could  ill  spare,  and  whom 
some  of  us  will  long  miss  and  mourn. 

On  the  27th  of  November  1867,  died  James  Hamilton ; 
on  the  4th  of  April  1868,  died  William  Burns;  on  the 
31st  of  May  1868,  died  John  Milne.  Twenty-nine  years 
ago  they  were  fellow-labourers  in  Scotland,  and  '  true  yoke- 
fellows.' Their  after-work  drew  them  into  different  fields  ; 
their  later  life  was  spent  in  different  lands ;  and  their  graves 
are  far  asunder.  London  holds  the  first,  Newchwang  the 
second,  Edinburgh  the  last. 

Along  with  the  above,  I  would  name  other  four  who  left 
us  many  years  ago,  but  who  were  at  one  time  associated 
with  these  three  in  heart  and  work ;  I  mean  Robert 
M'Cheyne  of  Dundee,  Daniel  Cormick  of  Kirriemuir, 
William  Hewitson  of  Dirleton,  and  Patrick  Miller  of  New- 

A 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


castle.  As  St.  Augustine  said  of  his  early  friends,  so  I  may 
say  of  these  seven :  '  Me  multum  diligebant  .  .  .  et  ego 
illos,  propter  magnam  virtutis  indolem,  quae  in  non  magno 
estate  satis  eminebat.' 

'  These  all  died  in  faith,'  resting  from  their  labours.  The 
work  of  each  was  a  true  one  and  a  great,  though  not  very 
long.  Their  lives  were  not  failures,  bringing  forth  nothing ; 
nor  contradictions,  one  part  neutralizing  the  other.  They 
were  debtors  to  the  age  while  in  it  (Rom.  i.  14);  and  now 
the  age  is  their  debtor.  The  period  which,  by  their  holy 
bearing  and  bold  testimony,  they  helped  to  mould,  is  a 
very  notable  one  in  the  history  of  the  Church  of  God. 
The  work  they  did  was  real,  and  their  footprints  are  still 
visible.  They  so  lived  and  spoke  as  to  tell  upon  the 
world ;  giving  a  deeper  tone  both  to  the  religion  and  the 
theology  of  their  time.  They  were  men  of  '  large  views,' 
in  the  sense  in  which  the  Lord  and  His  apostles  were  such ; 
seeking  to  be  neither  narrower  nor  broader  than  they. 
They  were  men  of  progress ;  '  adding  to  their  faith,  virtue , 
and  to  virtue,  knowledge ;  and  to  knowledge,  temperance ; 
and  to  temperance,  patience;  and  to  patience,  godliness' 
(2  Pet.  i.  6).  They  knew  what  they  believed,  and  they 
believed  it  nobly ;  nor  did  they  find  any  necessity  to  unsay 
or  undo,  in  their  later  years,  what  they  said  and  did  in 
their  earlier.  They  died  as  they  lived,  tenacious  of  the 
old  gospel,  suspicious  of  'advanced  theologies,'  and  jealous 
for  the  divine  accuracy  of  the  Scriptures. 

Christianity  has  no  weak  points.  Other  systems  have. 
It  has  none.  In  the  inconsistencies  of  Christians  some 
have  professed  to  see  the  weak  side  of  Christianity.     But 


BIR  TH— SCHOOL-LIFE— FALL. 


the  lives  of  Christians  are  not  Christianity.  Yet,  in  the 
cases  above  noted,  Christianity  was  not  put  to  shame  by 
its  friends.  Their  light  shone  steadily  to  the  last.  It  did 
not  wax  dim  with  years,  nor  hide  itself  in  mist.  Living 
in  an  age  that  is  oscillating  between  universal  belief  and 
universal  unbelief,  they  were  not  ashamed  of  having  a 
fixed  creed,  and  a  Bible  that  never  grows  old. 

John  Milne  was  born  at  Peterhead,  in  Aberdeenshire,  on 
the  26th  of  April  1807.  He  died  at  Spring  Valley,  Morning- 
side,  near  Edinburgh,  on  Sabbath  the  31st  of  May  1868. 

His  father  held  office  in  the  Custom-house  at  Peterhead. 
John  was  sent,  when  a  boy  of  five  years  old,  to  school  in  his 
native  town.  On  his  first  school-day  he  met  with  a  serious 
accident,  which  told  upon  his  whole  after  life,  and  which 
for  a  time  threatened  to  prove  fatal.  The  school  was  held 
in  a  room  above  the  Tolbooth,  and  there  was  a  long  out- 
side stone-stair  leading  up  to  it.  At  the  close  of  school- 
hours  the  children  poured  out  in  a  mass,  to  get  to  play,  or 
to  get  home  as  quickly  as  possible.  In  the  rush  John 
was  thrown  down,  and  fell  the  whole  length  of  the  stair, 
striking  his  head  severely.  He  was  taken  up  and  carried 
home  insensible.  After  some  little  time  he  recovered,  and 
returned  to  school ;  still  for  many  years  the  pain  in  his 
head  was  so  violent,  that  he  was  obliged,  by  medical  advice, 
to  keep  it  shaved. 

His  physicians,  in  after  years,  traced  to  this  fall  those 
fits  of  depression  into  which  he  sometimes  sank.  The 
brain  had  been  injured,  and  the  effects  of  the  concussion 
never  entirely  disappeared  ;  or  rather,  they  reappeared  at 
certain  intervals,  sometimes  producing  lowness  of  spirits, 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


and  a  feeling  of  unfitness  for  work,  and  sometimes  leading 
him  to  act  fitfully  and  wilfully ;  yet  never  betraying  him 
into  inconsistency,  nor  into  timidity ;  for  he  was  through- 
out not  only  one  of  the  most  consistent,  but  one  of  the 
boldest  of  men, — a  man  utterly  devoid  of  fear,  and  insensible 
of  danger  in  any  shape ;  a  man  who  would  have  led  a 
forlorn  hope  up  the  breach  as  calmly  as  he  would  have 
ascended  his  own  pulpit  steps,  or  climbed  Kinnoul  Hill. 
In  this  perfect  fearlessness  he  had  only  one  equal  that  I 
knew,  and  that  was  William  Burns.  '  Had  I  been  a  worldly 
man'  (I  remember  Mr.  Milne  saying  one  day  as  we  were 
wandering  over  Dunsinnane  Hill),  '  I  would  have  certainly 
been  a  soldier;  and  nothing  would  have  given  me  such 
delight  as  charging  at  the  head  of  my  regiment  the  very 
thickest  of  the  enemy.'  He  suited  the  action  to  the  utter- 
ance, and  showed  how  he  would  have  done. 

The  school  to  which  he  went  at  Peterhead  was  taught 
by  a  Mr.  Donald,  who  afterwards  became  minister  of  the 
parish.  It  was  his  church  that  John  attended,  till  he  left 
his  native  town  for  Aberdeen ;  and  he  does  not  seem  to 
have  found  interest  or  profit  in  what  he  heard.  I  never 
heard  him  speak  specially  of  his  minister ;  but  I  remember 
him  referring  more  than  once  to  the  religious  dreariness  of 
these  times.  Not  many  days  before  his  death,  he  came 
along  from  Morningside  to  call  for  me  at  the  Grange. 
After  some  pleasant  conversation  in  the  house,  we  went 
out  together  for  a  walk ;  and  as  we  sauntered  along  Strath- 
earn  Road,  he  alluded  to  his  boyhood.  He  asked  me 
about  Edinburgh  days  some  forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  con- 
gratulating me  that  I  had  enjoyed  such  a  ministry  as  that 


ED  UCA  TION—  COLLE  GE. 


of  Dr.  Jones.1  He  referred  sorrowfully  to  his  own  reli- 
gious training  in  Aberdeenshire,  and  spoke  as  one  who 
throughout  life  had  been  feeling  the  evil  influence  of  these 
bleak  and  barren  years. 

Mr.  Donald  was  succeeded  in  the  school  by  Mr.  Imrie, 
and  under  his  teaching  John  made  great  progress.  His 
health  continued  to  improve,  and  he  was  able  to  study 
more  than  he  had  done.  He  was  generally  first  in  every 
class ;  and  often,  when  his  companions  were  at  play,  he 
was  found  busy  at  his  books.  He  was  always  a  thoughtful, 
good  boy ;  and  from  his  childhood  he  expressed  a  wish  to 
be  a  '  minister.' 

When  about  thirteen,  he  was  asked  by  Mr.  Imrie  to 
give  some  assistance  in  the  school.  This  he  did  for  some 
little  time ;  and  when  he  left  for  college,  Mr.  Imrie  made 
him  a  present  of  a  small  sum,  the  first  money  he  had 
earned.  At  this  time  he  does  not  appear  to  have  had 
any  deep  religious  feelings,  though  morally  correct  and 
pure. 

In  1821  he  left  Peterhead  for  Aberdeen;  entering 
Marischal  College,  and  continuing  in  the  undergraduate 
classes  for  the  usual  four  sessions.  He  used  sometimes  to 
mention  an  impression  made  on  him  the  first  night  of  his 
arrival  in  Aberdeen,  where  he  stayed  in  the  house  of 
Mr.  Edmond  for  a  short  time.  When  in  the  bedroom, 
Mr.  James  Edmond  said  to  him,  that '  he  hoped  he  was 

1  Dr.  Jones  was  upwards  of  fifty  years  minister  of  Lady  Glenorchy's 
Chapel  in  Edinburgh  ;  a  vigorous,  earnest  preacher,  to  whom  multi- 
tudes from  many  parts  resorted  in  these  days.  He  was  born  in  Wales 
in  1754,  came  to  Edinburgh  in  1779,  and  died  in  1837. 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


not  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  say  his  prayers.'  The  word 
was  not  lost,  though  it  issued  in  nothing  at  the  time.  It 
is  generally  not  out  of  one  word  or  one  impression,  but 
many,  and  these  often  at  intervals,  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
brings  about  the  great  decision. 

At  college  he  distinguished  himself  highly  in  different 
departments  of  study,  especially  mathematics.  Dr.  Cruick- 
shanks,  who  was  his  professor  in  that  branch,  speaks  of 
him  as  one  of  the  best  students  he  ever  had.  In  the  junior 
mathematical  class  he  gained  the  second  prize  in  session 
1822-23.  Next  session  he  gained  the  first  prize  in  the 
senior  mathematical  class,  which  that  year  was  one  of 
considerable  value,  being  given  by  the  Lord  Rector  of  the 
University.  He  also  obtained,  by  competition,  Gray's 
Mathematical  Bursary  of  ^30  a  year,  for  two  years,  the 
highest  honour  which  the  College  then  had  to  bestow.  On 
the  competition  day  he  lost  his  portfolio,  with  all  the  notes 
and  papers  requisite  for  his  work,  and  did  not  miss  it  till 
he  was  in  the  class-room,  and  the  doors  shut.  To  most, 
competition  in  •  such  a  case  would  have  seemed  hopeless. 
But  having  obtained  paper  from  the  porter,  and  being 
thoroughly  '  read  up  '  in  his  subjects,  he  set  to  work,  wrote 
his  '  versions,'  and  won  the  prize.  This  he  used  to  refer 
to  in  after  years,  wondering  how  it  was  that  he  succeeded. 
His  fellow-students  speak  of  his  extraordinary  perseverance 
and  application,  by  means  of  which  he  mastered  every- 
thing that  was  given  him  to  do.  This  indomitable  deter- 
mination was  one  of  his  characteristics  through  life.  He 
went  through  with  everything  that  he  set  his  face  to.  He 
is  spoken  of  also  with  much  love  by  those  who  knew  him 


STUDIES  AND  SCHOLARSHIP. 


then,  as  gentle  and  kind  in  manner ;  polite  and  affable 
even  from  his  youth. 

He  took  his  degree  of  M.A.  in  March  1825,  though  I 
am  not  aware  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  appending  it  to 
his  name. 

During  part  of  his  university  course  he  lodged  with  the 
celebrated  Latinist,  Dr.  James  Melvin,  who  was  afterwards 
rector  of  the  Aberdeen  Grammar  School.  His  own  attain- 
ments in  Latin  were  considerable ;  and  his  classical 
predilections  were  as  decided  as  his  mathematical.  His 
ready  memory  supplied  him,  in  after  years,  with  many  a 
Greek  and  Latin  quotation;  and  often,  when  the  exact 
word  escaped  him,  his  accurate  scholarship  supplied  its 
place  with  some  equivalent  which  he  knew  how  to  insert, 
without  any  breach  of  prosody  or  grammar.  Dr.  Longmuir 
of  Aberdeen,  who  was  one  of  his  class-fellows,  mentions 
that  when  separated  during  the  long  summer  vacations 
(which  John  always  spent  at  Peterhead),  a  correspondence 
was  kept  up  between  the  two  students  in  Latin ;  Mr. 
Milne's  letters  being  dated  from  '  Petri  Promontorium,' 
the  classical  designation  of  his  native  town,  'Peterhead.'1 

1  He  did  not  cease  to  be  a  scholar  when  he  became  a  minister  ; 
though,  from  his  great  modesty,  few  had  a  right  idea  of  his  attain- 
ments. Yet  in  some  of  his  letters  to  Mr.  Somerville,  several  years 
after  his  settlement  in  Perth,  we  find  him  arranging  studies  thus  :  '  I 
used  to  read  largely  in  the  Septuagint,  but  I  have  somehow  lost  my 
copy.  I  do  not  think  it  would  repay  us.  What  say  you  to  ten  lines  of 
Homer's  Iliad  and  an  ode  of  Horace  on  alternate  days  ?  You  must 
brush  up  your  classics  for  the  sake  of  the  rising  generation.  Ten 
minutes  or  less  will  do  it.  I  shall  begin  Deuteronomy  on  Monday, 
five  verses  ;   and  read  critically.      It   is  a  pity  you  have   not  the 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


It  was  during  his  stay  at  Aberdeen  that  he  became 
acquainted  with  the  Rev.  Andrew  Gray,  who  was  in  sub- 
sequent years  his  co-presbyter  and  much  esteemed  fellow- 
labourer  in  Perth.  In  many  aspects  these  two  were  unlike 
each  other ;  yet,  in  spite  of  dissimilarities,  few  men  have 
so  thoroughly  appreciated  each  other's  worth.  Mr.  Gray 
was  the  year  before  Mr.  Milne  at  Marischal  College ;  and 
they,  after  their  graduation,  attended  the  same  classes  at 
the  Divinity  Hall. 

Having  completed  his  theological  course,  he  left  college 
and  went  as  tutor  to  Mr.  Irvine  of  Drum,  where  he  re- 
mained several  years.  A  brother  of  Mr.  Irvine  was  the 
first  who  spoke  to  him  directly  about  his  spiritual  state  ; 
and  in  1856,  when  that  gentleman  died,  Mr.  Milne,  on 
hearing  of  the  death,  wrote  thus  respecting  him  :  '  He  was 
the  first  that  ever  spoke  to  me  about  real  religion.  I  was 
then  as  blind  as  a  beetle,  yet  I  remember  it.  He  gave  me 
Guthrie's  Trial  of  a  Saving  Interest  in  Christ! 

points  ;  but  it  is  more  a  matter  of  sound  than  of  sense,  and  you  cannot 
now  help  it.  Miserable  Moderates,  to  teach  Hebrew  in  a  way  that 
made  our  knowledge  of  it  of  no  use  if  we  wished  to  hold  intercourse 
with  living  Jews  !  Luckily  my  teacher,  Dr  Kidd,  got  his  knowledge  of 
it  from  a  Rabbi.  Well,  shall  it  be  Deuteronomy  and  Horace  on  Mon- 
day ;  do.  and  Homer  on  Tuesday,  and  so  on?  I  am  reading,  writing, 
and  working  a  good  deal ;  and  more  really  using  and  enjoying  life 
since  I  was  with  you,  than  I  had  done  for  a  good  while  before.  Have 
you  seen  the  last  number  of  the  North  British  Review  ?  The  first 
article,  on  Ethics,  struck  me  as  exceedingly  good,  and  would  interest 
you,  as  bearing  on  the  subject  indirectly  of  some  of  your  late  re- 
searches. You  will  find  a  fair  estimate  of  Paley  as  a  moralist.  I 
should  like  to  know  who  wrote  it.  James  Hamilton  on  Doddridge  is 
interesting  and  good.  But  the  times  are  getting  too  earnest  for  that 
kind  of  style.' 


SOJOURN  IN  ENGLAND. 


From  Drum  he  went  to  Hatton  Castle,  and  was  licensed 
while  there  by  the  Presbytery  of  Turriff. 

In  1834  he  went  to  England,  where  he  taught,  first  in 
an  academy,  and  afterwards  in  a  private  family,  though 
longing  all  the  while  to  enter  on  his  proper  work.  The 
following  extract  from  a  letter  of  his  to  Francis  Edmond, 
Esq.,  Aberdeen,  dated  Lower  Dunstable  House,  Richmond, 
October  1834,  will  show  his  state  of  mind  at  this  time  : — 

'  I  have  been  living  here  for  some  months  as  tutor  in  the 
family  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Snow.  The  situation  is  tolerably  com- 
fortable. Mr.  S.  is  a  good  preacher,  and  an  extremely  pious 
man.  I  feel  it  a  very  great  advantage  to  enjoy  so  much  of 
his  society.  I  remember  complaining  of  it  to  you  as  a  great 
misfortune,  that  from  the  circumstances  of  my  life  I  had  been 
unable  to  fix  upon  one  particular  thing,  and  devote  myself 
entirely  to  it ;  but  I  would  fain  hope  that  religion  is  now  be- 
ginning to  assume  such  a  place  in  my  heart  and  thoughts  as 
will  probably  move  me  by  and  by  to  give  up  everything  here, 
and  seek  for  usefulness  in  any  sphere,  however  humble,  con- 
nected with  my  profession.' 

It  was  under  Mr.  Snow's  ministry  that  his  impressions 
grew  deeper;  and  it  was  at  Richmond  that  he  passed  from 
darkness  to  light.1  It  was  one  special  verse  of  Scripture 
in  which  he  found  the  light  and  peace  which  he  had  been 
for  some  time  groping  for :  1  John  iv.  10,  '  Herein  is  love, 
not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  He  loved  us,  and  sent 
His  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins.' 

1  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  she  who  was  one  day  to  be  his  wife, 
and  who  now  survives  him,  was  at  that  time  in  Richmond  under  the 
same  ministry,  and  impressed  with  eternal  things.  They  were,  however, 
quite  strangers  to  each  other,  not  meeting  till  they  met  in  Calcutta. 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


For  the  first  year  after  his  conversion  he  read  no  book 
but  the  Bible.  All  relish  for  other  books  seemed  to  have 
left  him.  With  a  divine  volume  lying  beside  him,  human 
writings  took  an  inferior  place  ;  or  rather,  at  first,  no  place 
at  all,  till  he  learned,  as  he  did  soon,  that  all  which  is  true, 
whether  in  a  divine  or  human  volume,  is  precious,  and 
'  nothing  to  be  refused '  (ovSeV  dnu^Tov,  i  Tim.  iv.  4), 
but  only  to  be  kept  in  its  proper  level.  With  his  mathe- 
matical tastes  and  classical  accomplishments,  he  could 
have  'kept  abreast'  of  the  age;  but  the  higher  relish 
absorbed  the  lower ;  he  dreaded  the  distracting  influence 
of  excessive  secular  reading;  and  when  he  did  engage 
in  it,  he  was  always  on  the  watch  for  something  to  illus- 
trate Scripture  or  help  his  preaching. 

Though  his  theological  training  had  been  Presbyterian, 
yet  he  does  not  seem  at  first  to  have  been  very  decided 
in  his  ecclesiastical  views.  At  one  time  he  thought  of 
entering  the  English  Church.  But  being  led  from  circum- 
stances to  study  the  subject  of  church  polity,  he  became 
a  very  decided  Presbyterian,  and  began  to  turn  his  eye 
back  to  the  land  of  Presbytery. 

Yet  he  did  not  in  after  years  forget  the  land  in  which 
for  a  season  he  had  been  a  stranger,  nor  the  church  with 
which,  through  one  of  her  many  good  men,  he  had  been 
brought  into  fellowship.  Writing  to  a  servant  in  England, 
who  had  formerly  been  a  member  of  his  congregation  in 
Perth,  he  thus  speaks  : — 

'  Oh,  do  not  think  that  our  heavenly  Father  neglects  His 
children,  or  that  our  brother  Joseph  forgets  his  brethren  and 
sisters.     You  must  not  despise  the  Church  of  England.     If  I 


APPOINTED  LECTURER  IN  ABERDEEN.  n 

know  the  Lord  at  all,  it  was  in  her  that  He  was  first  revealed 
to  me.  You  are  kindly  remembered  by  many  friends  here. 
I  have  a  letter  from  Mr.  Burns.  He  is  still  at  Newcastle,  but 
finds  himself  much  opposed  ;  but  he  is  persevering  in  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  He  seeks  to  be  remembered  before  the  Lord.' — 
Per  thy  20  th  Sept.  1841. 

In  1835  he  was  appointed  lecturer  on  the  Sabbath 
evenings  in  Gilcomston  Church,  Aberdeen,  of  which  the 
late  Dr.  Bryce  was  at  that  time  the  minister.  After  he 
accepted,  but  before  he  entered  on  his  duty,  he  became 
depressed  in  spirit,  afraid  to  undertake  the  work.  It 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  he  was  persuaded  to  go  on. 
But  when  fully  commenced,  he  proceeded  vigorously,  and 
gave  great  satisfaction  to  all  concerned,  especially  as  a 
visitor.1  He  remained  there  till  he  went  to  Perth,  and  on 
leaving  Gilcomston  he  received  a  handsome  testimonial  in 
token  of  esteem  and  gratitude.  It  was  during  this  period 
that  he  had  a  severe  attack  of  typhus  fever,  so  that  his 
life  was  despaired  of.  But  many  years  were  before  him, 
and  much  work  for  God,  though  at  that  time  men  knew 
it  not. 

1  It  was  at  this  time  (in  1836)  that  his  father  died  ;  and  the  reader 
will  be  interested  in  the  following  sentence  from  a  recent  letter  of 
John's  sister  to  her  brother,  Mr.  William  Milne  of  Perth,  regarding 
the  funeral.  '  I  often  think  of  the  evening  of  papa's  funeral,  when 
we  were  left  alone,  how  he  (John)  took  your  hand  and  mine,  and  led 
us  into  his  study,  kneeled  down,  and  committed  us  to  the  care  of  his 
heavenly  Father.' 


CHAPTER   II. 

1839-40. 

SETTLEMENT  IN   PERTH. 

MR.  MILNE  left  Aberdeen  in  1839,  and  was  settled 
in  St.  Leonard's,  Perth,  on  the  7th  of  November 
of  that  year.  In  that  settlement  no  one  rejoiced  more 
than  his  old  friend  Mr.  Andrew  Gray,  who,  at  the  first 
meeting  of  Presbytery  after  the  return  of  the  Palestine 
deputation  in  the  end  of  the  same  year,  introduced  him  to 
my  brother  of  Collace,  with  the  remark,  '  Now,  I'm  sure 
you  two  will  be  friends.'  And  so  indeed  they  were  from 
that  day  forward.  In  a  letter,  some  sixteen  years  after, 
from  India,  which  will  be  found  in  full  in  another  place, 
he  refers  to  this  : — 

'  I  still  remember  our  first  meeting  in  the  Old  Presbytery, 
and  where  I  was  sitting  when  you  came  in  and  shook  hands  ; 
and  then  R.  M'Cheyne  and  you  coming  in  to  me  at  14  Rose 

Terrace,  and  laughing  at  my  carte  blanche  to  Miss  to 

collect  a   staff  of  lady   Sabbath-school  teachers  ;   and   then 
our  next  meeting  in  the  vestry  of  Kinnoul  Street  Church.' 

The  following  letters,  as  having  reference  to  this  period, 
may  be  quoted  here,  as  giving  us  a  glimpse  of  himself  by 
himself: — 


LETTERS.  13 

1  Perth,  2d  Oct.  1839.— My  DEAR  Sir,— I  have  only  this 
moment  received  your  letter,  having  been  for  a  few  days  in  the 
country.  I  am  ashamed  to  think  that  I  should  have  been  so 
long  in  writing  to  you.  But  this  arose  in  some  measure  from 
the  peculiar  circumstances  in  which  I  was  placed.  On  arriving 
here,  just  a  week  ago,  I  found  my  friends  waiting  for  me,  and 
expecting  me  to  go  before  the  Presbytery  ;  which  I  did,  and 
went  through  this  part  of  the  customary  trials,  and  had  this  day 
fixed  for  the  remainder.  I  then  took  up  my  abode  with  Mr. 
Gray,  with  whom  I  lived  till  Sunday,  when  I  went  out  to  offi- 
ciate for  another  Aberdeenshire  man,  Mi-.  Noble  of  St.  Madoes. 
I  did  not  come  to  town  till  to-day,  which  was  the  reason  of  my 
not  getting  your  letter  sooner.  To-day  I  met  the  Presbytery, 
and  finished  my  trials,  when  they  fixed  the  7th  of  November 
for  my  ordination.  It  might  have  taken  place  sooner,  but  I 
rather  wished  it  to  be  put  off  till  after  the  Sacrament,  which 
takes  place  on  the  3d  of  that  month.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that, 
cill  to-day,  I  gave  way  too  much  to  the  unhappy  depression 
under  which  I  had  so  long  laboured.  It  was  very  foolish,  for  I 
found  every  one  here  very  kind.  I  have  just  been  looking  for 
lodgings,  but  have  not  yet  fixed  upon  a  place,  though  I  shall 
probably  do  so  to-morrow.  It  would  not,  I  find,  answer  to 
take  up  house  at  present,  as  the  expense  of  housekeeping 
would,  I  fear,  be  more  than  my  income  could  well  afford.  I 
think  it  will  be  better  therefore  to  get  rid,  as  soon  as  possible, 
of  the  furniture  which  I  have  in  Aberdeen.  Perhaps  you  will 
add  to  your  many  former  kindnesses,  that  of  assisting  my  aunt 
in  doing  so,  and  in  getting  my  books  packed  and  forwarded  as 
soon  as  possible.  I  shall  not  feel  at  home  till  I  have  them 
about  me.  Mr.  Gray,  who  is  now  sitting  beside  me,  says  he 
will  call  upon  you  when  he  is  in  Aberdeen,  whither  he  is  going 
to  assist  at  Mr.  Primrose's  Sacrament.  I  shall  expect  to  hear 
from  you  by  him,  or  sooner  if  convenient.  The  truth  is,  I  am 
almost  ashamed  to  write,  after  all  the  sin  and  obstinacy  and 
absurdity  of  which  I  have  been  guilty.  I  must  endeavour  now 
to  redeem  the  time,  and  by  diligence  and  devotedness  to  make 


14  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

what  amends  I  can  for  past  unstedfastness  and  vacillation.  I 
had  sat  down  to  write  to  you  this  day  week,  but  was  called  away 
to  something  else  ;  and  on  the  following  day,  I  felt  again  so 
dispirited,  that  I  put  off  writing  from  time  to  time. — Believe 
me,  my  dear  Sir,  very  sincerely  yours, — JOHN  MlLNE. 

'  P.S. — You  were  right  in  thinking  that  preaching  would  do 
me  good.  I  have  felt  better  ever  since,  and  now  hope  that 
all  will  go  forward  prosperously. 

'  Francis  Edmond,  Esq.,  advocate,  Aberdeen.' 

A  few  weeks  later,  he  thus  writes  to  the  same  esteemed 
friend  and  correspondent : — 

'Perth,  14  Rose  Terrace,  30th  Oct.  1839. — My  dear  Sir, 
— I  was  duly  favoured  with  your  letter  in  immediate  answer 
to  my  own ;  and  I  feel  ashamed  when  I  think  how  long  a 
period  I  have  suffered  to  elapse  without  answering  it.  You 
are,  however,  aware  what  a  dilatory  correspondent  I  am, 
and  will  find  an  explanation,  if  not  an  excuse,  for  the  delay, 
in  my  perverse  and  inveterate  habit  of  procrastination.  I 
have  heard  repeatedly  from  my  aunt,  and  have  learned  from 
her  the  kind  regard  which  you  have  expressed  for  me,  and  the 
great  trouble  which  you  have  taken  about  my  affairs ;  and 
when  I  add  to  this  all  the  kindness  I  personally  experienced 
before  I  came  away,  I  feel  myself  at  a  loss  how  to  express  my 
thankfulness.  I  shall  only  say  that  the  conduct  which  you 
have  on  this  occasion  pursued  towards  me  makes  me  think 
better  of  our  common  nature,  and  also  strengthens  my  faith 
in  the  love  of  God  ;  for,  if  we  receive  such  constant  and  ill- 
requited  regard  from  the  creature,  may  we  not  expect  as  much 
from  Him  who  gives  to  all  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not  ?  I 
trust  that  what  has  passed  between  us  will  lay  the  foundation 
of  an  intimate  and  abiding  friendship.  I  am  now  settled  in 
Rose  Terrace,  in  the  family  of  a  Mr.  M'Naughton,  and  think 
I  shall  find  myself  very  comfortable.     The  situation  is,  I  think, 


LETTERS— ORDINA  TION  SEE  VICES.  1 5 

the  best  about  Perth,  facing  the  North  Inch  ;  and  you  will  be 
delighted  with  the  prospect  from  the  windows.  I  received  my 
books  in  safety,  and  have  to  thank  you  for  your  kind  care  in 
getting  them  packed  and  forwarded.  I  felt  rather  at  a  loss  till 
they  arrived.  I  have  not,  however,  been  doing  much  in  a 
ministerial  capacity  since  I  came  here.  It  was  only  last  Sab- 
bath that  I  began  preaching  in  St.  Leonard's,  having  hitherto 
been  engaged  in  officiating  for  the  country  brethren.  I  have, 
however,  visited  some  of  the  congregation,  and  found  them 
ready  to  receive  me  with  a  hearty  welcome.  I  have  not  yet 
met  with  any  of  those  difficulties  which  so  much  alarmed  me  ; 
and  I  cannot  help  looking  back  upon  this  part  as  on  a  troubled 
dream,  the  origin  of  which  I  find  it  difficult  to  explain.  .  .  . 
Let  me  remind  you  that  my  ordination  takes  place  on  the  7th 
November,  to-morrow  week,  when  I  expect  to  have  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  you,  notwithstanding  the  doubt  which  you  expressed 
regarding  it.' 

Some  days  after  his  ordination,  he  writes  again  to  the 
same  : — 

'  The  proceedings  of  Thursday  went  off  very  comfortably. 
The  ordination  service  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Duncan  of 
Abernethy.  His  text  was  2  Cor.  iv.  5,  "  Ourselves  your 
servants  for  Jesus'  sake."  The  sermon,  though  long  and 
heavily  delivered,  was  faithful,  for  he  is  a  good  man.  In  the 
evening  a  large  party  met,  and  spent  a  very  pleasant  evening. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  speechifying,  and  I  am  happy  to  say 
that  our  Aberdeen  friends  made  a  very  favourable  impression 
on  the  people  of  Perth,  by  the  displays  they  made  of  this  kind 
of  eloquence.  Yesterday  Mr.  Bryce  and  I  preached ;  and 
now  I  trust  I  have  plain  sailing  before  me,  save  that  I  must  look 
for  the  usual  difficulties  from  without,  incident  to  this  office, 
and  the  peculiar  hindrances  which  I  know  I  shall  experience 
from  my  own  indolence  and  unbelief.  It  is,  however,  as  you 
have  often  told  me,  a  good  work ;  and  I  trust  we  shall  have  no 
reason  to  regret  what  we  have  done  :  you,  that  you  have  urged 


1 6  LIFE  OP  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

me  to  enter  on  it ;  and  I,  that  I  have  yielded  to  your  entreaties 
— let  me  add,  your  tears.  My  dear  sir,  my  heart  will  always 
warm  at  the  thought  of  you,  and  I  hope  we  shall  soon  have 
the  pleasure  of  meeting. — Perth,  nth  Nov.  1839.' 

The  depressions  referred  to  in  the  above  letters  seem  tc 
have  rather  increased  in  intensity  as  he  grew  older ;  as 
ministerial  work  pressed  upon  him  \  as  annoyances  troubled 
him,  or  sorrow  weighed  upon  his  tender  and  loving  spirit. 
During  his  first  residence  in  Perth  they  were  of  frequent 
occurrence  (sometimes  brought  on  by  very  trivial  causes), 
but  not  to  such  a  degree  as  afterwards.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  and  second  child  he  sank  much ;  and  then 
came  the  thought  of  India.  In  India  he  had  occasional 
depressions  ;  but  none  very  severe  till  1856,  when  alone. 
In  1857  one  seemed  coming,  but  passed  off.  That  in 
1859  was  very  severe  ;  but  when  it  passed  off  he  had  not 
another,  not  even  in  the  slightest  degree,  till  the  last  in 
1867,  which  was  the  severest  of  all.  Mysteriously  did 
that  stroke  upon  his  head  in  boyhood  develop  its  effects 
in  his  subsequent  life.  How  it  told  upon  his  mental 
energies  and  spiritual  health,  we  cannot  here  determine. 
How  it  helped  or  how  it  hindered ;  how  it  roused  or 
how  it  paralyzed ;  what  it  made  him  learn  or  unlearn  ; 
how  it  softened  and  subdued,  and  moulded  and  mellowed, 
can  only  be  known  hereafter.  Without  these  sharps 
and  flats,  the  full  compass  of  his  life's  music  could  not 
have  been  brought  out.  It  was  that  stroke  (called  acci- 
dent or  calamity  by  man)  which  gave  to  the  weapon 
that  edge  and  point,  that  temper  and  polish,  without 
which  it  would  not  have  done  its  proper  work.     If  the 


THE  THORN  IN  THE  FLESH.  17 

great  adversary  sought  by  that  bruise  to  mar  or  destroy 
a  chosen  instrument,  he  was  certainly  disappointed ; 
and  if  he  thought,  by  thus  making  the  Lord's  servant 
often  go  heavily,  to  arrest  his  work,  he  was  foiled. 
These  clouds,  though  they  sometimes  intercepted  his  joy, 
did  not  lead  him  to  question  his  heavenly  sonship,  or 
rob  him  of  the  Spirit  of  adoption.  He  might  at  times 
think  himself  a  broken  vessel,  cast  out  as  useless  ;  but  he 
could  still  stand  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  cross,  as  a 
sinner  who  had  accepted  God's  testimony  to  the  finished 
work  of  His  Son.  These  recurring  burdens  kept  him  low 
and  docile  ;  thus  magnifying  the  grace  of  God  in  him, 
and  leading  him  to  give  the  glory  of  what  was  done 
through  him,  to  Him  who  did  it  all.  And  does  not  that 
singular  experience  of  the  apostle  teach  us  much  ? — '  Lest 
I  should  be  exalted  above  measure  through  the  abundance 
of  the  revelations,  there  was  given  to  me  a  thorn  in 
the  flesh,  the  messenger  of  Satan  to  buffet  me '  (2  Cor. 
xii.  7). 

It  was  soon  after  his  settlement  in  Perth  that  he  became 
the  friend  of  Robert  M'Cheyne,  with  whom  he  wrought  so 
congenially  during  the  interesting  years  that  followed.  It 
was  regarding  this  acquaintanceship  that  he  made  one  day 
a  statement  in  the  pulpit,  which  one  would  not  like  to 
forget  :  '  When  I  was  in  Dundee,  I  went  to  the  house  of  a 
man  prosperous  in  the  world.  The  family  spoke  to  me  of 
a  strange  minister  there  who  had  said,  "  That  he  would 
rather  depart  and  be  with  Christ."  "  Did  you  ever  hear 
of  such  a  thing?"  said  the  worldly  man.'  'Need  I 
say,'  added   Mr.  Milne,  '  that  from   that   time  my  heart 


1 8  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

was  glued  to  that  man  ? '  '  That  man '  was  Robert 
M'Cheyne. 

From  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  his  ministry,  he 
held  fast  that  which  he  had  received,  both  in  doctrine 
and  practice  ;  preaching  the  one  old  gospel,  and  walk- 
ing in  the  simplicity  of  old  ways.  The  constant  study 
of  the  word  kept  him  from  the  deflections  of  the  age  ; 
nor  did  he  require  novelties,  either  ecclesiastical  or  theo- 
logical, to  excite  his  spiritual  system. 

Religion  in  a  soul  or  a  church  must  be  sick  and 
ready  to  die,  when  it  requires  the  use  of  stimulants 
to  restore  it, — the  stimulants  of  music,  and  dresses, 
and  postures,  and  ceremonies ;  or  the  stimulants  of 
speculation  and  mysticism,  and  the  '  enticing  words  of 
man's  wisdom.'  Rather,  we  may  say,  that  it  is  dead ; 
and  these  are  galvanic  appliances  to  make  a  dead  man 
look,  and  stare,  and  roll  his  eyes  like  a  living  one. 

Yet,  after  all,  'that  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is 
flesh  ;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit.' 
Mr.  Milne's  ministry  was  to  be  a  testimony  to  all  this  ; 
his  life  was  to  be  an  exhibition  of  it.  He  knew  that 
what  the  world  needs  is  '  regeneration ; '  nothing  short 
of  this.  He  understood  that  what  God  had  sent  was 
'salvation;'  nothing  less  than  this.  His  life  and  mini- 
stry were  the  embodiment  of  these  mighty  truths.  He 
did  not  trifle  with  the  souls  of  men,  nor  with  the  cross 
of  Christ,  nor  with  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

His  mind,  as  we  shall  see,  was  one  of  great  vigour  and 
versatility ;  his  style  was  lucid  and  pointed.  If  the  test 
of  talent  be,  as  some  seem  to  think,  the  power  of  mystify- 


HIS  WA  Y  OF  PREACHING.  19 

ing  the  simple,  he  had  it  not ;  but  if  it  consist,  as  surely 
it  does,  in  the  power  of  simplifying  the  abstruse,  he  was 
no  ordinary  man. 

He  was  not  a  theologian  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word. 
The  structure  of  his  mind  was  not  theological,  and  his 
spiritual  experience  had  not  drawn  him  into  system.  But 
he  was  not  the  less  clear  in  his  enunciation  of  the  faith 
once  delivered  to  the  saints.  The  Church  needs  both 
the  theological  and  the  non-theological  mind ;  the  one  to 
preserve  and  define  truth  in  its  integrity,  the  other  to  pre- 
vent that  integrity  from  freezing  into  the  stiffness  of  unim- 
pressive abstractions.  That  eminent  divine  and  man  of 
God,  Dr.'  John  Duncan,  mentioned  to  me  that  he  had 
heard  Mr.  Milne,  many  years  ago,  in  Mr.  Moody  Stuart's, 
and  that  he  'did  not  altogether  assent  to  some  of  his 
opening  statements,  thinking  them  not  quite  theologically 
correct.  '  But,'  said  he,  '  I  heard  the  whole  sermon  to  the 
end,  and  I  soon  felt  that  I  was  listening  to  a  man  that 
loved  Christ  better  than  I  did  myself.'  In  the  course  of 
conversation,  Dr.  Duncan  made  some  remarks  on  two  of 
our  well-known  men,  which  are  worth  preserving.  '  Dr. 
Chalmers,'  he  said,  '  had  a  more  theological  mind  than 
Dr.  Cunningham,  but  Dr.  Cunningham  was  the  better 
theologian.  The  mind  of  the  former  was  a  great  manu- 
factory, that  of  the  latter  a  great  warehouse.' 


CHAPTER  III. 
1 840-1 842. 

FIRST    YEARS    IN    PERTH. 

MR.  MILNE  began  his  ministry  in  Perth  with  great 
earnestness  ;  though  his  preaching  at  nrs*t  was  not 
so  marked  and  full  as  in  after  years.  He  had  been  sent 
to  do  a  work  for  God,  and  he  began  it  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling, as  one  conscious  of  insufficiency.  (2  Cor.  ii.  16.) 
The  work  he  had  come  to  do  soon  became  apparent. 

On  the  10th  of  February  1840,  he  thus  writes  to  Mr. 
Edmond  : — 

1 1  have  been  busy,  very  busy,  almost  unceasingly,  night  and 
day  for  the  last  six  weeks  ;  and  the  result  of  the  labour  is,  I 
trust,  one  of  the  most  hopeful  and  widest  revivals  that  has  as 
yet  taken  place  in  Scotland.  The  person  chiefly  instrumental 
in  beginning  and  carrying  on  this  is  Mr.  Burns,  lately  of  Dun- 
dee, who  is  living  with  me  ;  and  we  are  very  happy,  working 
without  intermission.  We  are  in  a  great  degree  alone,  having 
only  got  help  occasionally  from  Mr.  Cumming  of  Dunbarney, 
and  Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace.  You  can  form  no  idea  what  a  thirst 
there  is  on  the  part  of  the  people  to  hear ;  and  we  have  already 
much  fruit  in  numerous  cases  of  hopeful  conversion.  I  have 
every  day  fresh  reason  to  bless  God  that  I  was  sent  here, 
and  to  remember  you  with  gratitude  and  affection  for  being 


BLESSING  AND  OPPOSITION. 


helpful  in  sending  me.  I  find  cases  where  my  preaching  was 
blest  from  the  very  beginning.  We  have  much  opposition,  and 
it  is  getting  more  violent  as  the  work  goes  on.1  Mr.  Gray  is 
the  only  town  minister  that  stands  by  us,  though  he  takes  no 
active  part  in  the  services,  as  he  is  occupied  with  the  non-in- 
trusion question,  of  which  he  is  the  great  champion.  I  find 
fresh  opportunities  of  usefulness  opening  up  every  day  ;  so  you 
must  rejoice  with  me.' 

Some  time  after  he  thus  writes  to  the  same  : — 

'  I  see  you  all  active  on  the  patronage  question.  Let  me 
know  the  general  state  of  feeling.    I  have  been  co-operating  as 

1 1  remember  that  at  one  time  the  walls  of  Mr.  Milne's  church,  and 
other  places,  were  scrawled  over  in  chalk  with  figures  and  sentences  ; 
some  ridiculous,  some  abusive  and  vile ;  in  mockery  of  the  men  and 
the  work.  The  two  names  occurring  in  these  inscriptions  were  those 
of  William  Burns  and  John  Milne.  The  opposition  was  great.  Some 
calling  themselves  evangelicals  stood  quite  aloof.  They  honoured 
routine,  and  condemned  what  they  reckoned  disorder  and  excitement. 
Some,  afraid  to  unite  in  the  'moderate'  charge  of  'fanaticism,'  fell 
back  upon  the  cry  of  'more  evil  than  good.'  Often,  in  different  parts 
of  Scotland,  have  we  heard  this  as  the  'sum  of  the  whole  matter'  in 
regard  to  the  evangelists  of  these  years,  '  They  are  doing  more  harm 
than  good  ;'  an  expression  which  might  have  come  well  enough  from 
the  lips  of  a  zealous  workman,  but  which  from  those  of  a  lukewarm 
one  sounded  ill.  At  one  time  the  managers  of  Mr.  Milne's  church  re- 
solved to  attempt  to  exercise  their  authority  in  refusing  the  use  of  the 
church  to  Mr.  Burns.  On  the  following  Sabbath  Mr.  Milne  made  the 
following  announcement :  '  The  day  that  my  pulpit  is  closed  against 
Mr.  Burns  will  be  the  day  of  my  farewell  to  Perth.'  A  letter  to  my- 
self, from  Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace,  of  date  Jan.  24,  1840,  speaks  thus  : 
'  In  Perth  there  is  a  real  work  of  the  Spirit  under  Mr.  Burns'  preach- 
ing. I  have  been  once  or  twice  assisting ;  the  meetings  during  the  week 
are  in  St.  Leonard's  Church  almost  daily.  The  whole  town  is  stirred  ; 
everybody  is  talking  of  the  movement ;  worldly  men  are  outrageous 
in  their  opposition  ;  newspapers  also  misrepresenting  and  vilifying 
those  concerned  in  it,  ministers  and  people.' 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


far  as  I  was  able  on  the  right  side.  Let  me  hear  from  you 
soon,  or,  still  better,  let  me  see  you.  I  used  to  envy  your  being 
so  constantly  employed ;  but  I  have  enough  of  it  now.  But 
labor  ipse  voluftlas.  Are  you  growing  in  grace,  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  Christ?  That  is  the  only  desirable  advance- 
ment' 

I  have  given  these  two  extracts  together,  though  their 
dates  are  separated  by  some  ten  months,  in  order  to  show 
how  the  church  questions  of  that  day  were  interwoven 
with  the  highest  spiritual  work. 

In  one  of  Mr.  Milne's  note-books  we  find  the  following 
entry : — 

'  Most  of  the  existing  body  and  soul  of  New  England 
churches  originated  in  revivals  ;  and  hence  a  danger  of  fancy- 
ing that  little  advance  is  to  be  expected  or  laboured  for  when 
there  is  no  special  work  of  God  going  on.  Who  can  tell 
whether  these  occasional  periodic  showers  or  a  continual  down- 
dropping  dew  would  be  best  ?  But  let  us  seek  directness  of 
aim  ;  expect  conversions,  even  when  not  aware  that  the  Spirit 
is  at  work,  in  the  way  of  prayerfulness  and  inquiry.  In  revival 
times  there  is  expectation  of  being  heard;  earnestness  and 
determination  of  mind  commensurate.  At  other  times  there  is 
a  general  faith  of  God's  willingness  to  answer  ;  but  now  (in  re- 
vival times)  there  is  a  fervour  kindled  by  a  distinct  grasp  of  its 
object  as  present  and  immediately  attainable.  The  hearer  now 
comes  expecting  that  we  shall  call  him  to  repent  immediately 
and  turn  to  God  ;  conversion  is  in  the  mind  both  of  preacher 
and  hearer.  Hence  we  find  in  America  short  seasons  of  ener- 
getic fruitful  nature,  and  then  long  dead  vacations.  God's 
love,  interest  in  His  church,  faithfulness,  never  change ;  and 
He  puts  special  honour  upon  those  who  are  stedfast,  and  go 
on  against  discouragements  and  opposing  currents.  There 
are  instances  of  revival  going  on  through  a  whole  ministry. 
Let  revival  effort  be  used  even  when  revival  does  not  exist' 


WHAT  ARE  REVIVALS? 


The  above  paragraph  lets  us  know  the  state  of  Mr. 
Milne's  mind,  in  reference  to  what  are  called  '  Revivals.' 
It  prepares  us  for  understanding  the  part  which  he  took 
in  them,  both  in  his  own  congregation  and  those  of  the 
brethren  with  whom  he  was  associated.  Like  many  of  us, 
he  did  not  trouble  himself  about  the  word  '  revival.'  He 
did  not  feel  concerned  either  to  defend  it  or  to  take 
offence  at  it.  It  was  the  thing  which  lay  underneath 
the  word  that  he  regarded.  That  thing  which  occurred 
in  Jerusalem  at  Pentecost  (Acts  ii.  41) ;  in  Samaria  some 
short  time  afterwards  (Acts  viii.  8) ;  again  at  Antioch  (Acts 
xi.  21);  again  at  Iconium  (Acts  xiv.  1);  again  at  Thessa- 
lonica  (Acts  xvii.  4) ;  again  at  Corinth  (Acts  xviii.  8)  ; 
that  things  call  it  by  what  name  we  please,  seemed  to 
him  to  be  the  very  end  and  object  of  the  ministry.  A 
minister  of  Christ  is  not  an  essayist,  nor  an  orator,  nor 
a  lecturer,  nor  a  philosopher,  but  'an  ambassador  for 
Christ'  (2  Cor.  v.  20);  a  'fisher  of  men'  (Matt.  iv.  19). 
His  work  is  not  in  the  first  place  that  of  improving 
morals,  or  elevating  character,  or  rectifying  social  evils, 
or  redressing  material  wrongs, — but  of  saving.  As  the 
Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  said,  '  Christ  sent,  me  not  to 
baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gospel,'  so  we  have  still  to 
say,  as  servants  of  the  same  Master,  '  Christ  sent  me 
not  to  civilise,  but  to  preach  the  gospel.'  It  is  that  gospel 
which  is  '  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation'  (Rom  i.  16); 
a  gospel  not  depending  for  its  efficacy  on  the  'enticing 
words  of  man's  wisdom,'  but  on  the  '  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  [on  His]  power'  (1  Cor.  ii.  4);  for  'after  that, 
in  the  wisdom  of  God,  the  world  by  [its]  wisdom  knew  not 


24  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

God,  it  pleased  (eiSo*ojo-ej/,  it  was  '  well-pleasing')  God  by 
the  foolishness  of  preaching  (rov  KijpCyfiaTos,  this  preaching, 
i.e.  of  the  cross)  to  save  them  that  believe'  (i  Cor.  i.  21). 

The  spiritual  movement  in  which  Mr.  Milne  took  so 
deep  an  interest,  began,  as  the  first  of  the  above  letters 
indicates,  very  soon  after  his  settlement  in  Perth.  In 
December  1839,  Mr.  Burns  came  for  one  night;  but 
found  such  encouragement  that  he  remained  for  several 
months,  having  meetings,  chiefly  along  with  Mr.  Milne, 
but  also  with  the  assistance  of  some  others. 

The  first  night  that  the  church  was  lighted  with  gas, 
Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace  came  to  town  to  help,  and  found  (in 
the  afternoon  when  he  arrived)  Mr.  Milne  and  Mr.  Burns 
sitting  together.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Burns  saw  the  two 
brethren,  ready  for  the  evening  work,  he  started  up, 
looked  at  his  watch,  and  said  that  he  must  be  off  for 
Dundee  to  hold  a  meeting  there  that  night.  It  was  in 
vain  urged  that  he  was  advertised  to  preach,  and  that 
crowds  would  be  gathering.  He  snatched  up  his  carpet- 
bag, and  set  off  for  Dundee.  The  two  brethren,  thus 
abruptly  left,  conducted  the  meeting,  which  was  a  very 
crowded  one ;  and  it  is  believed  that  much  good  was  done 
on  that  occasion.  One  individual  afterwards  gave  this 
testimony  concerning  it :  '  The  first  sermon  convinced  me 
of  sin,  and  the  second  brought  me  to  Christ' 

The  spiritual  work  went  on  during  January  and  Febru- 
ary with  manifest  results  for  good,  both  in  the  town  and 
neighbourhood.  The  crowds  were  great,  both  on  Sabbaths 
and  week-days.  Many  were,  during  that  time,  'turned 
from  darkness  to  light.'      Mr.  Milne's  sermon  on  the 


CONTINUOUS  FRUIT.  25 

*  barren  fig-tree,'  in  Mr,  Gray's  church,  is  still  remembered 
for  its  solemnity  and  power.  During  the  day  crowds  of 
inquirers  flocked  to  Mr.  Milne's  house  for  conversation 
with  him  and  Mr.  Burns.  Every  seat  in  the  church  was 
let;  the  aisle,  the  lobby,  the  vestry  (a  small  flat-roofed 
room  behind  the  pulpit)  were  filled  at  every  meeting.  After 
every  seat  was  let  a  list  of  seventy  was  made  up,  who  were 
waiting  for  the  first  vacancies.  Many  of  these  did  not  get 
seats  till  after  the  Disruption.  At  Mr.  Milne's  first  com- 
munion, in  April  1840,  there  were  one  hundred  and  forty 
young  communicants.  For  some  years  afterwards  great 
life  and  warmth  exhibited  themselves  in  the  congregation.1 
The  members  were  set  a-working  vigorously,  in  different 
ways ;  various  agencies  sprung  up,  connected  with  both 
old  and  young — Mr.  Milne  himself  at  the  head  of  all  of 
them,  full  of  faith  and  fervour.  A  weekly  prayer-meeting 
was  begun,  which  has  continued  to  this  day.  The  Perth 
Young  Men's  Tract  Society  was  commenced.  At  first  three 
of  its  members  were  sent  out  by  Mr.  Milne  with  their  first 
distribution  of  tracts  ;  now  there  are  forty.  St.  Leonard's 
became  noted  in  the  neighbourhood.  It  became  a  centre 
of  blessing.  To  it  was  traced  much  good  or  evil,  by  those 
who  either  liked  or  disliked  the  proceedings  there.  '  You'll 
be  from  St.  Leonard's,'  was  the  answer  given  by  more  than 
one,  to  an  individual  who  was  dealing  faithfully  with  his 
fellow-travellers.  One  family  was  signally  blest.  Several 
daughters  were  converted,  along  with  the  mother,  who, 

1  •  Our  best  days  in  St.  Leonard's,'  writes  Mr.  Milne,  nearly  twenty 
years  afterwards,  '  were  when  William  Burns,  and  afterwards  A. 
Bonar  and  Mr.  Gumming,  used  to  take  part,  and  work  side  by  side.' 


26  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

though  she  had  been  long  a  professing  Christian,  used 
to  say  that  never  till  then  had  she  '  lost  her  grip  of  the 
world.'  One  son  continued  unchanged.  He  soon  after 
left  Perth  for  another  place,  and  Mr.  Milne  gave  him  a 
note  of  introduction  to  a  minister  there.  The  young  man 
saw  through  the  paper  his  own  name,  and  read  these  words : 
'  Others  of  the  family  have  got  the  blessing,  but  he  is  left.' 
The  words  smote  him  to  the  heart,  and  he  returned  to 
Perth,  seeking  the  Lord,  and  has  long  been  a  child  of  God. 
The  father  was  much  opposed  to  the  work  and  to  Mr. 
Milne  j  but  before  his  death  he  too  was  changed ;  and 
hearing  of  Mr.  Milne,  after  his  return  from  India,  being  in 
the  place  in  which  he  lived,  he  sent  for  him  and  welcomed 
him  with  joy. 

An  additional  communion  was  kept  on  the  first  Sabbath 
of  January  1842  •}  and,  some  time  after,  it  was  resolved  to 
have  the  communion  four  times  a  year.  The  Presbytery, 
however,  interfered,  and  the  session,  for  the  time,  gave 
way  for  the  sake  of  peace.  Mr.  Milne  seems  to  have  felt 
this  interference  of  the  Presbytery.  It  depressed  him  as 
well  as  wounded  him.  Robert  M'Cheyne  thus  wrote  to 
him  on  the  occasion  : — 

'  My  dear  Brother, — Your  distress  has  afflicted  me.  If 
one  member  suffer,  all  the  other  members  suffer.  I  fear  that, 
like  my  own  case,  unbelief  and  sin  mingle  with  your  bodily 

1  At  the  same  time  there  was  the  communion  in  St.  Peter's,  Dun- 
dee, regarding  which  Mr.  M  'Cheyne  writes  to  him  :  '  We  had  a 
sweet  communion  season.  I  never  enjoyed  one  more.  It  is  a  mile- 
stone nearer  heaven.  Perhaps  I  may  never  see  another.  It  was  like 
the  gate  of  heaven.' 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  M'CHEYNE.  27 

unhingement,  and  retard  your  recovery.  Tell  me  how  you  are ; 
you  know  I  feel  along  with  you.  I  am  weak  like  you,  sinful 
like  you,  and  now  suffering  like  you.  We  have  both  our  Elder 
Brother,  who  knows  our  sin  and  sorrow,  and  can  save  from 
both.  Oh  that  He  may  come  speedily  !  I  feel  for  you  also  in 
regard  to  your  communion.  I  differ  toto  ccelo  from  the  speeches 
of  your  brethren  in  Presbytery.  Had  I  been  in  your  place,  I 
would  have  carried  the  case  to  the  Synod  and  Assembly.  It 
may  yet  be  remedied.  I  intend  to  assail  Mr.  Grierson  and 
Andrew  Gray  the  first  time  I  meet  them.  I  think  you  should 
move  for  four  communions  in  the  town.  At  the  same  time,  I 
think  you  have  let  go  a  valuable  privilege  of  an  individual  ses- 
sion to  appoint  a  communion  at  any  time,  taking  the  peculiar 
circumstances  of  the  particular  congregation  into  view.  For 
example,  when  I  came  from  abroad  we  had  a  special  com- 
munion season,  and  it  was  greatly  blessed.  This  power 
should  not  be  taken  from  sessions.  ...  I  have  not 
preached  yet,  and  am  only  to  preach  once  a  Sabbath.  Oh 
that  I  could  improve  affliction  !  This  I  have  learned  more 
than  ever,  that  I  am  a  worm.  Bear  me  on  your  afflicted  heart 
before  the  throne,  and  accept  the  sympathy  and  prayers  of  a 
suffering  brother  in  Jesus. — Robt.  M.  M'Cheyne.' 

About  this  time  missionary  boxes  were  placed  at  the  doors 
of  Mr.  Milne's  church,  that  the  zeal  and  liberality  of  the 
people  might  have  a  weekly  channel  through  which  to  pour 
themselves  abroad.  There  are  few  such  missionary  boxes 
at  our  church  doors  now.  It  is  well  that  our  local  funds 
should  prosper,  and  no  less  so  that  our  offerings  for  the 
poor  should  be  constant.  But  it  is  desirable  that  the  mis- 
sionary box,  with  its  missionary  inscription,  should  meet 
the  eye  of  our  people  every  time  they  enter  the  house  of 
God,  lest  they  forget  the  words,  '  Freely  ye  have  received, 
freely  give.' 


23  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

We  shall  see  how  close,  in  after  years,  was  Mr.  Milne's 
connection  with  missions,  and  how  deep  his  interest  in 
them.  In  these  missionary  boxes  we  see  how  his  mind 
was  already  occupied  with  foreign  work,  and  his  eye  turning 
to  the  foreign  field.  To  trace  a  connection  between  these 
boxes  and  Mr.  Milne's  important  step  in  1853  might  be 
going  too  far ;  but  it  is  not  the  less  interesting  to  note  the 
fact  of  his  thus  early  calling  the  attention  of  his  people  to 
missions,  asking  their  liberality  in  behalf  of  the  missionary 
cause;  especially  in  connection  with  the  great  work  of 
God  then  going  on  at  home. 


CHAPTER   IV. 
1840-1842. 

LETTERS   AND   REMINISCENCES. 

MR.  BURNS,  after  his  successful  labours  in  Perth, 
left  that  city  to  preach  elsewhere.  But,  wherever 
he  went,  he  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  the  places 
where  he  had  been,  either  by  private  letter,  or  printed 
epistle.  From  Kilsyth,  Aug.  11,  1840,  he  wrote  to  the 
1  disciples '  in  Perth  a  long  and  fervent  communication, 
which  was  printed  and  widely  circulated.  Instead  of 
counting  this  an  '  interference,'  Mr.  Milne  greatly  rejoiced 
in  it,  and  helped  the  circulation  with  all  alacrity.  In 
sending  a  copy  to  Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace.  on  the  30th  of 
September  (1840),  he  thus  writes  on  the  outside  of  the 
printed  document,  '  What,  think  you,  is  this  official-looking 
document  ?  It  is  on  the  King's  business.'  And  on  the  in- 
side blank  page  he  adds  : — 

'My  dear  Brother,  —  I  have  just  laid  my  hand  upon 
the  preceding,  which  I  somehow  overlooked  on  Monday.  I 
advised  its  publication,  because  I  thought  it  would  do  good. 
I  was  a  little  annoyed  to  find  a  blind  man  on  the  bridge  the 
other  day  selling  a  republication  at  a  penny.     But  it  will  give 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


him  a  morsel  of  bread,  and  may  give  the  better  food  to  others. 

I  met the  other  day,  and  had  a  tilting  match  upon  the 

subject.     He  said  the  old  gentleman  had  written  from  Kilsyth 

that  William  was  an  evangelist.     "  Now,"  said ,  "  when  I 

look  into  Ephesians,  I  find  evangelist  placed  higher  than 
pastor.  But  not  content  with  this  superiority,  he  is  now  send- 
ing his  apostolic  letters."  However,  our  friend,  I  believe,  will 
do  good,  whether  it  please  or  displease.  He  writes,  asking 
me  to  make  inquiry  if  the  magistrates  would  allow  him  to 
preach  to-morrow  (the  Fair  day)  on  the  Inch.  I  feel  with  you 
that  if  souls  may  be  saved,  I  shall  not  be  the  man  to  hinder 
it.  Nobody  but  himself  could  or  would  do  it.  I  shall  see  the 
provost  to-day  and  inquire.  When  Satan  is  busiest,  Christ  is 
most  needed.  A.  C.  has  just  left  me.  She  says,  the  first  thing 
that  disturbed  her  was  the  earthquake  ;  she  could  not  sleep 
for  three  nights.  Then  she  heard  you  in  the  East  Church, 
when  you  asked  whether  our  earthquake  had  brought  any  to 
Christ.  Every  word  came  home  to  her.  I  love  to  trace  your 
footsteps,  brother ;  and  rejoice  that  the  Lord  makes  love  a 
duty.  It  is  a  pleasant  yoke.  I  find  the  Lord  gives  me  a  word 
from  time  to  time.  He  is  the  interpreter,  one  of  a  thousand. 
Oh  for  a  closer,  humbler  walk  ! ' 

In  a  note  from  Mr.  M.  to  Mr.  Somerville,  Mr.  Burns  is 
thus  referred  to  :  '  I  found  our  friend  William  Burns  wait- 
ing for  me.  He  is  to  continue  for  a  few  days  with  me. 
He  has  been  preaching  to-night  in  the  open  air, — rather 
cold  work,  you  will  say,  but  he  prefers  it ;  and  I  rejoice 
that  he  should  do  good  in  any  way  he  likes  best.' 

Not  Perth  only,  but  many  parts  of  Scotland  shared  the 
blessing.  There  was  an  earnestness  in  various  quarters 
which  was  at  times  most  touching ;  one  village,  and  an- 
other, and  another  sending  Macedonian  messages  to  men 
of  God  in  other  places,  '  Come  over  and  help  us.' 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  BURNS.  31 

In  a  letter  from  Mr.  Burns  to  myself,  dated,  '  Lawers 
Manse,  Breadalbane,  Sept.  20,  1840,'  there  is  the  follow- 
ing statement : — 

'  We  have  been  wondrously  visited  in  the  upper  parts  of 
Perthshire  during  the  past  six  weeks.  During  that  time  I 
have  been  at  Lawers  and  Ardeonaig,  in  Breadalbane  ;  at 
Glenlyon  and  Fortingall ;  at  Aberfeldy,  Grandtully,  and  Logie- 
rait,  in  Strathtay ;  in  Dowally,  Moulin,  and  Tenandry  in 
Athol ;  and  at  Kirkmichael  and  Percy ;  and  in  almost  all 
these  places  there  have  been  decided  tokens  of  the  presence 
and  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Indeed,  these  weeks  have 
been  as  remarkable  as  any  that  I  ever  spent  since  I  began 
to  preach  the  gospel.  In  some  places,  the  people  seem  as  if 
they  were  flying  "  like  a  cloud,  and  as  doves  to  their  windows." 
The  glory  be  the  Lord's,  and  the  Lord's  alone  !  You  will  be 
surprised  to  hear  that  I  have  been  in  the  pulpits  of  three 
Moderate  ministers  in  this  quarter,  and  that  they  all,  but 
especially  two  of  them,  seemed  very  friendly,  and  seriously 
disposed.  To-morrow  I  am  to  be,  D.V.,  at  Fortingall  ;  and 
the  following  Sabbath  in  Aberdeen. — I  am,  dear  brother,  yours 
in  Immanuel, — W.  C.  B.' 

On  the  13th  of  June  of  the  same  year,  he  wrote  to  me 
from  Kettle,  thus  : — '  There  are  good  signs  in  some  places 
here,  especially  at  Strathmiglo  a  few  days  ago.  I  think 
there  were  unequivocal  marks  of  the  Lord's  power.  The 
converts  at  Perth  seem  numerous  and  lively,  and  the 
public  mind  seems  preparing  for  another  great  movement. 
I  was  there  on  Thursday,  along  with  your  dear  brother 
from  Collace.' 

From  Milnathort  he  writes,  June  6,  1841  : — '  There  are 
many  openings  here.  We  had,  I  think  I  may  safely  say, 
a  great  day  here  yesterday  in  the  fields.  The  Lord  was 
with  us  of  a  truth.' 


32  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

From  Grandtully,  June  15,  1841,  he  writes  : — 'We  had 
an  amazing  assembly  here  on  Sabbath  at  the  tent,  and  a 
solemn  day.  Hardly  an  individual  among  five  thousand 
moved  for  five  hours.  Much  seems  to  have  been  done 
here.' 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  M'Cheyne  alludes  to  the 
wide-spread  quickening  over  Scotland  : — 

'  Dundee,  i^th  Dec.  1839. — My  dear  Horace,— Come  over 
and  help  us.  A  number  of  the  best  of  my  flock  have  petitioned 
the  session  to  grant  us  another  communion  season,  hoping 
that  the  Good  Shepherd  may  visit  us  again,  and  cause  us  to 
rest  at  noon.  The  spring  of  this  movement  was  in  the  meet- 
ings for  prayer  ;  so  that  we  may  fairly  hope  that  it  is  heaven- 
sent, and  that  it  may  issue  in  a  full  stream  of  living  waters. 
The  presence  of  the  Comforter  seems  still  to  be  felt  in  our 
assemblies,  though  the  sound  of  His  going  is  not  heard  as  in 
days  past.  Still,  let  Him  take  His  own  way  of  gathering  in 
souls,  and  we  will  rejoice.  The  sunbeams  that  call  out  all  the 
beauty  and  fragrance  of  the  flowers,  do  it  without  any  noise. 
Come  over  and  help  us.  The  day  fixed  by  the  session  is 
Sabbath,  the  19th  of  January.  The  next  day  is  to  be  devoted 
entirely  to  solemn  and  joyful  thanksgiving.  We  propose  to 
have  sermons  only  on  the  evenings  of  Thursday,  Friday,  and 
Saturday,  that  we  may  not  give  cause  of  offence  to  any,  as  if 
we  minded  not  the  temporal  benefit  of  the  people.  You  will 
preach  on  the  Sabbath  evening.  You  will  also  have  tables  to 
serve.  If  there  be  many  strangers,  we  may  have  service  also 
in  both  the  schoolrooms  ;  and  if  the  Lord  send  us  a  plentiful 
rain,  you  have  more  work  to  do  than  I  can  tell  you  of.  As  for 
myself,  I  must  submit  to  be  a  weak,  left-handed  labourer.  I 
hope  for  great  grace  to  my  own  soul,  and  also  to  all  that  help 
me.  Bid  your  people  pray  for  us.  I  dare  say  Andrew  and 
Mr.  Cumming  and  R.  M 'Donald  may  be  induced  to  come 
also  to  help  us.     Tell  me  how  God's  work  is  going  on  ir 


MR.  M'CHEYNE'S  LETTERS.  33 

Kelso.  Oh,  let  us  pray  that  what  is  past  may  be  but  the 
beginning  of  days  to  our  thirsty  land  !  Let  us  stretch  out  our 
souls  for  more.  Anderston,  Kirkfield,  and  Wellpark  are  de- 
cidedly quickened  from  on  high.  I  also  visited  a  school  in  St. 
George's  parish,  and  preached  to  many  weeping  children.  In 
Carmylie,  it  is  said,  several  old  people  are  awakened,  and 
weep  bitterly.  I  have  also  great  hopes  of  Perth.  It  is  a  very 
dead  place ;  but  the  people  in  Mr.  Gray's  church  are  stilled  as 
if  waiting  for  something.  The  attendance  at  his  week  meet- 
ing has  doubled.  Andrew  preached  in  the  Middle  Church  to 
an  immense  assembly  last  Sabbath  night.  Tell  me  all  you 
know.  I  rejoice  to  hear  of  Jedburgh.  Tell  me  particulars 
that  I  may  tell  my  people.  Would  it  not  be  greatly  for  Im- 
manuel's  honour  to  come  and  reveal  Himself  in  such  a  way 
that  no  man  could  take  any  of  the  praise  ?  Oh  to  be  humble 
and  believing  and  expecting  !  The  cause  of  Israel  is  still 
advancing  in  the  midst.  Pray  that  the  Lord  would  make  it 
sink  deep  into  the  hearts  of  His  children.  I  am  persuaded 
that  much  of  the  blessing  from  on  high  is  connected  with  it. 
Pray  for  me,  body,  and  soul,  and  flock.' 

On  the  4th  of  February  1840,  he  writes  to  me : — 

'  My  dear  H., — May  we  come  to  you  in  the  fulness  of 
the  blessing  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  !  You  must  not  speak  of 
rest  to  me  as  long  as  I  have  any  strength  remaining.  The 
more  I  do,  I  find  I  am  the  more  able.  I  shall  gladly  meet 
you"at  the  footstool  of  our  Father's  throne.  Oh  to  seek  Him 
alone  !  My  flesh  and  heart  cry  out  for  Thee.  The  Lord  has 
great  work  for  us  here,  if  I  had  strength  and  faith  to  go 
through  with  it.  I  believe  that  souls  are  still  being  saved. 
But  we  must  not  give  Him  rest  till  all  Scotland  glow  with 
the  rays  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  and  till  poor  deserted 
Judah  arise  from  the  dust  and  sing.  W.  Burns  is  with  me 
to-day.  The  Lord  is  doing  great  things  in  Perth.  He  is  to 
feed  my  flock  during  my  absence.  Fare  thee  well,  in  soul 
and  body.     Ever  yours,— R.  M.  M'C 

C 


34  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


Again  he  says : — 

1 Dundee,  \yth  March  1840. — My  dear  H., — Grace,  mercy, 
and  peace  be  to  thee  and  thine.  I  long  to  hear  from  you  how 
the  vine  flourishes  and  the  pomegranate  buds  in  Kelso.  Do 
you  see  increasing  marks  that  Immanuel  in  His  grace  and 
beauty  is  with  you,  attracting  souls  by  His  loveliness  and  fitness, 
and  transforming  His  own  people  into  His  own  lovely  image  ? 
.  .  .  Meet  with  me  as  we  did  before  your  communion,  every 
night  for  a  little,  about  half-past  ten,  at  our  Father's  footstool, 
praying  for  a  blessing  from  on  high.  Now  I  commend  you  to 
the  God  on  whom  you  believe.  Ever  yours  in  firmest  bonds, 
— R.  M.  M'C 

Afterwards,  on  the  16th  February  1841,  he  writes  : — 

'  My  DEAR  H., — If  the  Lord  will,  I  shall  be  with  you  on 
Tuesday  the  23d ;  and  pray  that  I  may  receive  something 
from  above  to  enable  me  to  preach  with  power.  We  have 
unspeakable  cause  to  be  ashamed  of  our  coldness  and  unpro- 
fitableness in  the  Lord's  service.  On  the  Sabbath  I  hope  to 
spend  a  blessed  day  in  the  North  Church  of  Kelso.  May  the 
Lord  the  Spirit  direct  our  hearts  into  the  love  of  God  !  May 
the  word  run  and  be  glorified  !  Surely  there  is  something 
wrong  about  us,  or  the  Lord  would  make  His  mighty  arm  to 
light  down  with  greater  power  among  us.  Patrick  Miller 
comes  with  me.  He  is  a  true  disciple.  I  shall  try  to  re- 
member you  till  we  meet.  Wednesday  next,  William  Burns, 
P.  Miller,  and  another  have  agreed  to  fast  and  humble  our- 
selves before  God,  especially  from  8  till  9,  and  11  till  12 
morning.' 

Again,  on  the  27th  March  1841  : — 

*  I  am  better,  but  have  not  got  my  strength  back.  I  am  not 
to  preach  to-morrow.  William  Burns  is  to  preach  for  me. 
This  will  be  his  last  Sabbath  in  Dundee  for  a  time.  He  goes 
to  Breadalbane,  where  the  Lord's  work  is  still  going  on.  Have 
any  souls  been  added  to  the  church  at  your  late  communion  ? 


LETTERS  AND  WORK.  35 

Oh  for  drops  from  heaven !     Soon  our  last  sermon  shall  be 
ended.' 

Once  more,  on  29th  December  1841  : — 

'  This  is  a  dark  time  ;  but  it  makes  us  keep  our  heads  above 
the  flood.     Oh  for  the  presence  of  Jesus  with  the  soul !' 

I  have  quoted  more  of  these  letters  than  is  strictly- 
applicable  to  the  exact  events  before  us.  But  I  was  un- 
willing to  let  such  fragments  lie  buried,  and  it  was  easier 
to  quote  them  all  together.  They  bear  very  directly  upon 
the  contents  both  of  this  chapter  and  the  following. 

A  letter  of  December  14,  1841,  from  a  Christian  friend, 
contains  the  following  sentence  : — 

'A.  went  this  forenoon  to  Abernyte.  In  the  evening  he 
goes  to  Blairgowrie,  and  then  next  morning  into  the  High- 
lands. A  request  from  the  poor  people  of  Glenshee  came,  and 
was  so  urgent  that  he  could  not  refuse.  It  is  nearly  twenty 
miles  north  of  Blairgowrie.  He  promised  to  spend  two  days 
among  them,  and  will  not  return  till  Saturday.  I  enclose  a 
note  from ,  from  which  you  will  see  in  what  an  inte- 
resting state  these  poor  people  are,  and  how  irresistible  was 
their  request.  One  part  was  touching,  in  which  they  mention 
that  they  had  set  apart  half  a  day  for  fasting  and  prayer  for  a 
blessing  on  his  visit.  He  is  also  to  be  on  Sabbath  at  Errol 
instead  of  Mr.  M'Cheyne,  who  could  not  be  from  home  at 
present.  Mr.  Milne  is  to  be  out  here  (Collace)  to-morrow, 
though  I  don't  know  that  he  will  stay.  I  go  to  Dundee  next 
day,  though  I  should  more  gladly  have  gone  over,  a  fortnight 
later,  to  the  communion.  Mr.  Milne  is  to  have  his  quarterly 
communion  on  the  same  day.  His  Presbytery  called  him  to 
account  for  having  it  without  consulting  his  brethren ;  but 
they  did  not  prevent  it' 

In  October  1841  the  first  prayer  union  services  took  place. 


36  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Ten  days  were  arranged  for  special  prayer;  and  those 
who  remember  that  time  can  bear  witness  that  they 
were  remarkable  days.  There  was  a  violent  storm  of 
wind  during  the  whole  time,  which  tended  to  lessen  the 
gatherings ;  but  in  spite  of  this,  the  meetings,  all  over 
Scotland  at  least,  were  crowded.  These  seasons  of  prayer 
have  been  continued  yearly,  ever  since,  though  the  time 
was  altered  to  January.  Several  ministers  issued  ad- 
dresses to  their  people,  which  were  widely  circulated.  Mr. 
M'Cheyne  thus  writes  to  Mr.  Milne : — 

'  God  has  really  given  us  a  few  drops  of  the  spirit  of  unity, 
the  precious  ointment  that  comes  down  from  the  head  of  our 
Aaron  to  the  skirts  of  his  garments  (Ps.  cxxxiii.),  uniting  all  in 
one  sweet  fragrance.  I  hope  for  some  good  fruit.  Our  first  meet- 
ing was  quite  filled.  We  meet  in  St.  Peter's  to-night.  I  enclose 
heads  of  prayer  drawn  up  by  myself.  Unless  the  people  be 
guided  some  way,  they  will  lose  interest.  I  am  thinking  of 
trying  a  meeting  in  the  church  every  morning  at  eight ;  read- 
ing a  few  verses,  and  expounding  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ; 
praying  and  singing  the  rest.  Kirkpatrick  in  Dublin  is  to  do 
the  same.  In  the  evening  I  will  get  good  men  to  conduct  little 
meetings,  and  all  will  be  enjoined  to  spend  the  time  in  secret 
who  have  places  of  retirement.  Pray  for  us.  There  is  a  lull 
just  now.' 

After  this  prayer  union,  Mr.  M'Cheyne  thus  writes  to 
Mr.  Milne : — 

1  May  the  Lord  the  Spirit  do  much  for  you  at  this  ensuing 
communion  in  answer  to  prayer  !  I  think  you  had  too  much 
preaching  during  the  concert  for  prayer;  still,  I  trust  your 
words  were  blessed  to  save  and  feed  many.  I  trust  you  will 
come  to  me  richly  laden  from  your  communion-table.      Oh 


PRAYER   UNION.  37 


for  more  grace,  and  light,  and  love  !     I  trust  to  see  you  face  to 
face  soon.     I  will  pray  for  you  next  Sabbath.' 

In  reference  to  this  time  of  prayer,  as  observed  in  Perth, 
the  following  sentence  of  a  letter  to  myself  may  be 
added : — 

'  The  concert  week  was,  I  think,  a  time  of  refreshing.  I  was 
obliged  for  your  address.  The  idea  of  finding  time  for  so  many 
things,  but  not  for  prayer,  seemed  to  go  home.  I  look  forward 
with  comfort  to  the  commencing  half-year.  There  are  some 
stirrings  among  the  people,  and  in  the  minister.' 

Respecting  this  prayer  union,  Mr.  M'Cheyne  writes 
thus  to  myself: — 

'  My  DEAR  H., — Have  you  a  heart  to  come  to  us  on  the 
last  Sabbath  of  October?  My  only  reasons  for  asking  you 
are  these  :  Andrew  was  with  me  last  communion,  and  I  do 
not  like  to  take  him  away  another  Sabbath.  But  far  more.  I 
expect  a  time  of  remarkable  blessing.  This  concert  for  prayer 
has  taken  hold  of  the  people,  and  I  think  God  is  opening  the 
windows  of  heaven.  I  did  not  mean  to  ask  you  to  come  so 
far,  but  this  latter  determined  me.  Lay  it  before  God,  and,  if 
He  bids  you,  then  come.  We  have  met  in  the  church  every 
morning  at  eight,  eight  or  nine  hundred  people,  and  on  Sab- 
bath about  a  thousand.  We  are  waiting  for  an  answer,  and  I 
believe  it  will  come.  Some  drops  have  fallen.  One  soul, 
weary  and  heavy  laden  for  four  years,  was  brought,  I  trust,  to 
saving  rest  in  Jesus  on  the  first  evening  during  the  hour  of 
prayer,  and  in  secret.  Ever  yours  till  He  come, — Robt. 
Murray  M'Cheyne.' 

I  may  be  allowed  to  quote  a  letter  from  my  friend  Mr. 
Somerville,  of  date  Oct.  7,  1841,  on  the  same  subject : — 

'  What  a  blessed  thing  this  union  is  !  Never  has  there  been 
such  a  one.     We  may  rest  assured  that  good  results  will  flow 


38  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

from  it.  Our  church  has  been  open  every  evening  since  the 
concert  began,  and  is  to  be  so  while  it  continues.  I  am  enjoy- 
ing the  morning  hour  especially,  spending  it  in  devotional 
exercises  of  various  kinds  with  my  family,  and  feel  the  Lord 
drawing  our  souls  after  the  glory  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  precious 
Saviour  whose  name  shall  endure  for  ever.' 

In  February  1842  Mr.  Milne  was  with  us  in  Kelso  at 

our  communion,  remarkably  full  of  energy,  and  dealing  out 
largely  to  the  people  the  gospel  of  God's  free  love.  He 
came  to  us  on  Tuesday  the  2 2d,  and  remained  till  Wed- 
nesday, March  2,  preaching  every  night,  and  on  some 
occasions  during  the  day.  His  Sabbath  services  were 
peculiarly  striking.  He  spoke  on  the  Monday  some  most 
memorable  words.  Referring  to  ministers  beseeching  men 
in  Christ's  stead  to  be  reconciled,  he  said  : — 

1  Must  I  go  up  to  heaven  and  ask  the  glorious  Trinity,  "Art  Thou 
willing  to  be  the  covenant-God  of  the  people  of  this  church  ?" 
Do  I  need  to  ascend  with  this  question,  and  stand  before  the 
throne  to  get  it  answered  ?  Ah,  I  need  not  do  that.  God 
has  answered  it  already.  I  am  commissioned  to  tell  you  He  is 
willing.  Are  there  no  hands  stretched  out  to  take  hold  of  the 
covenant  ?  Oh,  what  has  not  the  Holy  Spirit  been  doing  to 
win  you  ?  This  time  and  that  time  visiting  you ;  whisper- 
ing that  all  was  not  right ;  making  you  say  to  yourselves,  I 
should  not  like  to  die  thus ;  I  should  not  like  to  die  in  the 
theatre,  or  at  the  card-table,  or  in  the  ball-room.  And  He  in- 
vites all  sinners  freely.  This  is  the  last  night  of  the  feast 
There  are  no  lasts  in  heaven ;  no  last  look  at  the  Lamb. 
There  are  no  lasts  in  helL     All  is  for  ever.' 

On  some  of  the  above  occasions,  Mr.  Milne's  sermons 
were  long ;  much  beyond  an  hour.  Yet  the  power  with 
which  they  came  made  all  feel   them   short.     As  on  a 


MR.  MILNE'S  SERMONS.  39 

similar  occasion  at  Collace,  when  he  preached  for  nearly 
two  hours  on  the  three  wells  ;  the  dry  well,  the  half-filled 
well,  and  the  overflowing  well.  It  was  a  time  to  be 
remembered.  No-  one  moved.  Every  eye  was  fixed,  and 
every  heart  melted.  Many  such  seasons  and  sermons 
could  be  enumerated ;  so  many,  that  time  and  space 
would  fail. 

Some  reminiscences,  chiefly  of  this  period,  may  here  be 
introduced.  They  are  by  Mr.  Mackie  of  the  Warrington 
Guardian,  one  who  was  attracted  by  Mr.  Milne's  preach- 
ing, and  heard  him  gladly  : — 

'  My  remembrance  of  Mr.  Milne  dates  to  1840,  after  the  re- 
vivals had  begun.  Being  then  but  fifteen,  and  connected  with 
Dr.  Thomson's  church,  I  had  not  many  opportunities  of  know- 
ing him  personally.  My  first  decided  remembrance  of  him  was 
noticing  him  cross  George  Street  to  talk  and  shake  hands  with 
a  journeyman  baker  connected  with  St.  Leonard's,  who  was 
then  carrying  his  bread-board  on  his  head.  I  had  never  seen 
it  on  that  fashion,  and  was  much  impressed.  My  second  re- 
membrance is  hearing  him,  in  a  crowd  who  surrounded  a  new 
convert,  say,  "  I  shall  be  so  glad  to  tell  Mr.  Gray  that  it  was  a 
sermon  of  his  which  first  impressed  you."  My  third  decided 
impression  of  him  is  hearing  him  in  his  own  pulpit  say  that, 
though  having  our  common  infirmity  and  feelings,  when  he 
saw  the  crowds  go  to  the  church  in  which  Mr.  Burns  was 
preaching,  he  had  endeavoured  to  rejoice  if  the  Lord's  work 
was  done,  whoever  was  the  instrument. 

'  My  most  decided  and  pleasant  reminiscences  of  Mr.  Milne 
are  connected  with  his  Bible  class  in  the  old  vestry,  where  now 
stands  the  City  Hall.  He  succeeded  Mr.  Lewis,  on  his  call  to 
St.  David's,  Dundee,  and  at  once  a  crowded  class  was  the 
.  result.  He  commenced  with  the  Book  of  Exodus,  and  got  on 
but  slowly,  owing  to  the  many  illustrations  he  gave  us  with  a 


40  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

view  to  making  us  men  as  we  grew  up.  I  nearly  always  sat 
on  a  stool  at  his  feet,  being  generally  late,  and  was  literally 
brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Mr.  Milne. 

'  I  well  remember  his  remarks  on  the  career  of  Moses — 
forty  years  at  court,  forty  years  at  school  in  the  wilderness, 
and  forty  years  at  work  as  the  Leader.  The  two  first  forties 
fitted  him  for  the  last.  He  was  ready  when  wanted.  Not 
being  so  was  the  common  fault.  Most  men  were  unfit  for  the 
chance  which,  some  time  or  other,  came  to  make  men  of  them. 

'  Decision. — I  well  remember  him  urging  on  us  this.  Search 
into  the  grounds  of  your  belief ;  take  nothing  on  hearsay,  and, 
when  satisfied,  put  the  question  on  the  shelf,  labelled,  "  Exa- 
mined, and  found  correct." 

'  Although  not  a  member  of  St.  Leonard's,  I  usually  went 
there  on  Sundays,  and  have  the  most  pleasing  memories. 
Mr.  Milne  inaugurated  a  new  style  of  preaching.  There  was 
no  reading  of  a  MS.,  and  no  perfunctory  dividing  every  sub- 
ject into  three.  Often  would  he  seize  an  idea  evidently  on 
the  moment,  and  extract  from  it  beauties  of  which  one  never 
would  have  dreamt. 

'  His  texts  were  often  very  original.  Well  do  I  remember 
him  preaching  on  "  Thy  Maker  is  thy  husband,"  etc. ;  and, 
"  Blessed  are  ye  that  sow  beside  all  waters,  who  send  forth 
thither  the  feet  of  the  ox  and  the  ass."  In  the  latter  text  his 
knowledge  of  the  original  tongues,  and  eastern  customs,  was 
easily  to  be  recognised. 

'  Mr.  Milne's  manner  in  prayer,  and  in  the  preaching,  was 
most  remarkable.  He  held  up  the  right  hand  in  prayer,  and 
kept  it  somewhat  in  advance  of  him  in  preaching.  His  every 
tone  was  a  tone  of  earnestness.  How  he  used  to  emphasize 
the  Master's  long-suffering,  by  quoting  that  "  His  locks  were 
wet  with  the  dews  of  the  night!"  In  prayer,  his  power  of 
using  Scripture  was  most  telling  and  remarkable.  "  O  hope 
of  Israel,  and  Saviour  thereof  in  time  of  trouble,  why"  etc. 
It  is  said  that  Whitfield's  way  of  pronouncing  "  Mesopotamia" 
was  as  good  as  some  sermons ;  and  in  Mr.  Milne's  why,  in 


MR.  MAC  KIPS  REMINISCENCES.  41 

the  passage  quoted,  there  was  a  depth  and  meaning  we  never 
saw  when  used  by  others.  To  some  extent  was  this  the  same 
in  his,  "  Come  into  my  garden,"  "  Awake,  O  north  wind,  and 
come,"  etc. 

'  The  standing  at  the  singing  of  the  last  psalm  was,  I  think, 
introduced  by  Mr.  Milne,  as  was  also  the  quarterly  sacra- 
ments. 

'  It  is  difficult  to  say  how  far  Mr.  Milne's  preaching  affected 
the  people  of  Perth  during  the  revivals,  or  how  far  it  effected 
the  wondrous  changes  then  observed.  His  labours  and  those 
of  Mr.  Burns  were  so  blended,  that  at  that  time  they  should 
not  be  divided  in  noticing  results.  To  them,  certainly,  mainly 
is  due  the  fact  that  some  thirty  to  fifty  prayer-meetings  were 
commenced  in  private  houses,  and  the  Young  Men's  Tract 
Society,  still  existing,  as  well  as  one  in  connection  with  Dr. 
Thomson  and  the  Middle  Church.  I  remember  the  meetings 
in  connection  with  the  latter,  and  the  Doctor's  lamentation  at 
the  coldness  of  his  people  in  not  having  gone  their  first  round, 
and  his  joy  when  I  was  able  to  tell  him  I  had  been  round  and 
well  received.  That  fire  in  me  had  most  certainly  been  kindled 
at  St.  Leonard's. 

'  The  present  generation  can  scarcely  tell  the  excitement  of 
the  revival  period  in  Perth.  Revival,  or  even  lively  preaching, 
was  little  known.  But  Mr.  Burns  inaugurated  a  new  era. 
His  solemn,  slow,  and  sober  appeals  told  at  once.  The  first 
man  of  note  who  fell  under  the  word  as  preached  by  Mr. 
Burns  was  Mr.  Campbell,  predecessor  to  Mr.  Peter  Palmer. 
He  publicly  cried  out  in  the  church  for  mercy.  Crowds  began 
to  attend  St.  Leonard's  every  night  in  the  week.  Mr.  Burns 
would  preach  until  nine  o'clock ;  then  conclude  in  the  usual 
way,  and  retire  into  the  vestry.  But  he  retired  in  vain.  The 
people  would  sit  still,  and  out  the  preacher  would  have  to 
come,  reascend  the  pulpit,  and  go  on  till  ten  or  even  eleven 
o'clock.  The  Perth  papers  bitterly  opposed  him,  and  in  their 
columns  of  those  days  some  facts  and  much  fiction  may  be 
found  worth  looking  at — say,  1839-40. 


42  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

1  Several  ministers  from  neighbouring  parishes  came — I  had 
almost  said  to  mock,  but  remained  to  pray.  During  all  the 
time  Mr.  Burns  was,  as  it  were,  the  leading  man  in  the  move- 
ment. Mr.  Milne  was  doing  the  building  up.  In  his  parish, 
and  out  of  it,  he  was  ever  at  work.  I  remember  obtaining 
almost  my  first  donation  to  the  Bridgend  Tract  Society  from 
him,  and  his  attendance  at  two  prayer-meetings  there,  one  of 
them  more  a  family  than  a  public  one.  The  then  minister  of 
Kinnoul,  after  many  importunities,  refused  either  to  attend  our 
prayer-meetings,  or  have  anything  to  do  with  our  tract  society. 

'  For  some  ten  or  fifteen  years  we  were  separated — Mr.  Milne 
most  of  the  time  in  India,  I  in  England.  I  had  never  for- 
gotten him  ;  often  preached  from  his  favourite  texts,  and  been 
encouraged  by  my  remembrance  of  his  humble  mind,  his  zeal, 
and  devotion.  When  he  required  to  return  home,  it  afforded 
me  infinite  pleasure  to  write  about  him  to  one  of  the  local 
papers,  and  I  often  looked  forward  to  enjoying  his  society 
when  I  became  once  more  a  resident  of  Perth.  We  met,  in 
1859,1  most  unexpectedly.  It  was  at  a  narrow  part  of  the  foot- 
path round  the  Great  Orme's  Head.  We  recognised  each 
other,  and  the  meeting  led  to  a  written  correspondence  by 
which  I  much  profited,  and  one  or  two  visits  to  Perth.  I  can 
never  forget  the  kind  way  in  which  he  alluded  to  my  lectures 
at  Perth  (and  myself)  in  giving  notice  of  it  on  the  Sunday 
morning,  and  also  his  introduction  of  me  to  the  audience,  he 
being  chairman.  On  returning  home  after  the  lecture,  he 
spoke  of  it  in  a  way  which  made  my  heart  bound  with  joy.  I 
was  busy  lecturing  to  the  working  men  of  Warrington  at  the 
time  of  our  meetings,  and  had  been  so  for  some  years,  every 
Sunday  evening.  To  Mr.  Milne  is  due  most  of  the  prepara- 
tion, and  all  the  ambition,  which  moved  and  sustained  me  in 
the  work.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  it,  and  sent  me  several 
donations  in  money.' 

1  Mr.  Milne,  in  a  private  letter,  dated  16th  of  September  1859, 
alludes  to  '  a  walk  all  round  the  Great  Orme.' 


EARLY  YEARS  OF  MINISTRY.  43 

Such  were  the  early  years  of  his  ministry  ;  years  of  faith, 
and  prayer,  and  work.  They  were  earnests  of  the  years  to 
come.  The  following  lines,  written  by  him  at  a  much  later 
time,  when  toiling  in  India,  may  be  introduced  here,  as 
the  expression  of  his  mind  from  the  first  to  the  last : — 

'  I  am  thy  Levite,  Lord ;  Thou  art  my  lot  alone. 

Give  me  a  will  in  sweet  accord  with  all  that  is  thine  own. 

Great  things  I  will  not  seek  ;  they  only  prove  a  snare  : 

Enough  if  Thou  my  spirit  keep,  unhurt  by  sin  and  care. 

Too  long  I've  lived  for  time ;  too  long  have  walked  by  sight. 

Let  me  now  leave  this  earthly  slime,  for  things  all  great  and  bright. 

Give  me  that  unction  pure,  which  opes  the  blinded  eye, 

And  let  me  see,  right  clear  and  sure,  the  things  that  are  on  high. 

Oh  !  clothe  me  with  thy  righteousness,  and  make  me  clean  within, 

That  I  may  see  thy  blessed  face,  thy  grace  and  mercy  win. 

Lead  me  within  the  veil,  where  stands  thy  glorious  throne, 

And  let  my  Saviour's  plea  prevail,  as  if  it  were  mine  own. 

Here  I  thy  name  will  praise,  thine  anger's  turned  away ; 

And  Thou  wilt  magnify  thy  grace,  and  all  thy  love  display. 

What  wilt  Thou,  Lord,  that  I  for  Thee  should  do  or  bear  ? 

My  heart  will  joyfully  comply  to  serve  Thee  everywhere. 

To  battle  forth  I  go ;  Jehovah  is  my  strength  : 

I  will  not  fear  though  strong  the  foe;  I  shall  prevail  at  length.' 


CHAPTER  V. 


TIMES   OF   REFRESHING. 


BUT  it  is  desirable  to  gather  up  the  records  of  this 
revival.  In  the  Memoirs  of  Mr.  M'C/ieyne  will  be 
found  some  references  to  it  We  must  not,  however,  pass 
it  over  with  a  general  statement.  Both  as  important  in 
itself,  and  as  connected  with  Mr.  Milne's  life  and  ministry, 
it  claims  special  notice. 

In  the  end  of  1840,  the  Presbytery  of  Aberdeen  took  up 
the  subject  of  'revivals,'  and  appointed  a  committee  to 
make  inquiry.  Though  this  investigation  had  primary  re- 
ferenoe  to  Aberdeen,  yet  it  embraced  other  places ;  among 
others,  Perth.  The  bias  of  some  members  of  committee 
and  of  Presbytery  was  very  strong  against  revival  work, 
and  especially  against  Mr.  William  Burns,  who  had  been 
preaching  in  Aberdeen  as  well  as  in  Dundee  and  Perth. 
Judging  from  the  statements  in  the  public  press,  he  had 
turned  the  world  upside  down,  and  had  come  to  do  a  like 
work  for  Aberdeen.  He  is  designated  '  A  young  preacher, 
named  Burns ;'  '  A  silly-looking  lad  with  a  sort  of  meaning- 
less simper  on  his  face  •*  and  he  is  represented  as  attempt- 
ing '  to  get  up  in  this  city  a  sort  of  religious  excitement, 


OPPOSITION  TO  REVIVALS.  45 

in  imitation  of  the  revivals  which  he  had  originated  in  the 
south.'  One  of  the  Aberdeen  meetings  is  described  in 
detail ;  and  Mr.  Burns  is  represented  as  standing  in  the 
precentor's  desk,  gazing  in  silence  on  his  excited  audience  ; 
dropping  down  on  his  knees ;  covering  his  face  with  his 
hands,  and  looking  through  his  fingers;  'jumping  up  like  a 
jack-in-a-box,'  looking  on  with  a  self-complacent  smile. 
His  words  are  called  '  daring  blasphemy,'  and  his  conduct 
'  a  scandal  on  religion,  and  a  disgrace  to  our  city.'  The 
writer  goes  on  thus  :  '  There  is  something  in  his  manner 
which,  whatever  it  may  be  now,  must  originally  have 
been  pure  affectation.  His  drawling,  unearthly  voice,  his 
theatrical  attitude,  his  outre  expression  of  countenance, 
seem  as  if  they  were  all  put  on  for  a  purpose.  Then  a 
person  who,  like  him,  acknowledges  that  he  spent  a  very 
wicked  early  life,  cannot  be  so  ignorant  of  the  world  as  not 
to  know  that  the  effects  he  produces  on  the  silly  females 
who  flock  after  him  can  all  be  fully  accounted  for  on 
natural  principles,  without  any  necessity  for  a  supernatural 
interference  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  lower  animals  (and 
ignorant  women,  when  they  allow  themselves  to  be  led 
away  entirely  by  their  feelings  in  matters  of  religion,  are 
little  above  the  lower  animals  in  intellect)  can  be  made  to 
imitate  any  inarticulate  sound.  Go  into  a  dog-kennel  and 
raise  a  peculiar  whine,  and  the  chance  is  that  you  are  soon 
joined  by  the  whole  pack,  especially  if  there  are  many 
puppies  present.  Mr.  Burns  must  know  these  things,  and 
be  well  acquainted  with  the  character  and  temperament  of 
the  women  who  chiefly •  follow  him;  yet  he  persists  in 
attributing   the  wails   and  cries  of  excited  and   hysteric 


46  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

females  to  the  direct  operation  of  the  Deity.  .  .  .  Had  our 
Saviour  been  alive,  might  He  not  have  emphatically  said  to 
Burns  and  his  followers,  "  Be  not  as  the  hypocrites  ?  " ' 

These  are  specimens  of  the  mind  of  the  public  press, 
being  some  of  its  comments  on  '  one  of  the  most  de- 
plorable exhibitions  of  misguided  enthusiasm  and  moral 
insanity  which  could  possibly  be  imagined.'  They  are 
quoted  here  to  show  the  fierceness  of  the  opposition  then 
encountered  by  those  who  did  the  revival  work  of  these 
days.  They  remind  us  of  the  scoffer's  taunt  in  reference 
to  the  Pentecostal  scene,  'These  men  are  full  of  new 
wine.'  But  they  are  also  quoted  to  give  Mr.  Burns  an 
opportunity  of  speaking  for  himself.  He  wrote  thus  to 
me  respecting  these  public  charges,  and  others  contained 
in  private  letters  to  myself: — 

'  Newcastle,  27th  Sept.  1841. — Mr. states  as  an  admitted 

fact,  in  his  letter,  what  is  wholly  without  foundation,  that  it  is 
my  practice  frequently  to  stop  during  my  sermon,  lay  my  head 
on  my  hands,  and  leaning  on  the  front  of  the  desk,  or  kneeling 
in  the  pulpit,  to  engage  in  secret  prayer.  The  only  case  in 
which  I  ever  paused  to  pray  secretly  in  public  was  when,  in 
solemn  circumstances,  I  have  appointed  that  all  the  audience 
should  spend  a  few  minutes  in  secret  prayer.  This  you  may 
remember  was  done  in  the  famous  meeting  of  Commission  in 
1596,  when  Mr.  Davidson  preached  to  400  ministers  and  elders, 
and  allowed  them  a  quarter  of  an  hour  for  such  searching  of 
heart,  and  when  the  silence  was  only  broken  by  the  sighs  and 
groans  of  men  who  felt  the  blood  of  souls  lying  on  them. 
Neither  have  I  made  it  a  practice  to  kneel  in  the  pulpit.  I 
have  hardly  ever  done  so,  and  never,  in  the  middle  of  the 
sermon,  when  the  people  were  waiting  for  the  continuance  of 
the  services ;  this  whole  imagination  has  arisen  from  a  state- 


ABERDEEN  PRESB  YTER  Y.  47 

ment  made  by  the  editor  of  the  Herald,  who  neither  knew  the 
circumstances  nor  what  I  was  really  doing.  My  reason  for 
pausing  on  the  occasion  was,  that  the  audience  were  in  so 
tender  a  frame  that  they  needed  but  little  said  to  them,  and 
that  I  was  afraid  of  exciting  them,  as  it  would  have  been  easy 
to  do  by  a  continued  and  forcible  address  ;  and  as  to  dropping 
down  upon  my  knees,  the  whole  matter  was  this,  that  I  leant 
upon  the  desk,  and  as  it  was  rather  low,  I,  of  course,  relaxed 
my  limbs,  and  might  seem  to  be  kneeling  to  one  who  did  not 
notice  the  real  depth  of  the  desk.  I  should  like  you  to  notice, 
on  my  authority,  the  charge  of  kneeling,  etc.,  as  there  is  an 
air  of  affectation,  singularity,  and  enthusiasm  about  the  whole 
statement,  which  may  do  injury  where  I  am  not  known.' 

The  rest  of  the  letter  I  think  I  may  give,  though  it 
refers  to  Newcastle. 

'Join  with  us  in  giving  praise  to  God  for  visiting  us  with 
tokens  of  His  presence  and  power.  Last  Thursday  we  had  a 
very  large  and  solemn  meeting  in  the  open  air,  and  last  night 
I  had  an  immense  audience,  who  stood  solemnly  engaged  and 
impressed,  under  a  harvest  moon,  from  five  o'clock  to  half- 
past  eight,  and  would  have  remained  much  longer.  I  was 
enabled  at  last  to  speak  out,  I  believe,  in  the  power  of  God, 
about  the  sins  which  are  murdering  thousands  here.  Oh, 
entreat  the  chosen  of  God  among  you  to  plead  for  us  now  in 
the  crisis  of  the  war.' 

But  it  is  not  with  the  presbyterial  report  at  large  that 
we  have  here  to  do  ;  but  merely  with  the  record  which 
is  preserved  in  it  regarding  the  work  at  Perth.  It  is  an 
official  and  authentic  document,  worthy  of  being  studied 
now,  though  nearly  thirty  years  have  gone  by  since  the 
events  occurred. 

It  may  be  well  to  set  in  the  foreground  the  statements 
of  Mr.  Andrew  Gray,  one  of  the  ministers  of  Perth,  whose 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


calmness,  cautiousness,  and  honesty  will  be,  to  those  who 
remember  him,  a  security  for  the  strict  and  unexaggerated 
accuracy  of  his  testimony.1 

' 1.  A  considerable  awakening  took  place  about  a  year  ago 
in  this  city,  and  the  benefit  was  partially  experienced  in  my 
own  congregation. 

'  II.  The  chief  instrument  in  the  work  was  Mr.  W.  Burns, 
and  the  means  consisted  of  the  preaching  of  the  word,  and  of 
devotional  exercises.  The  labours  of  Mr.  Milne  of  St.  Leo- 
nard's, and  Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace,  were  also  much  blessed. 

'III.  The  special  circumstances  referred  to  were  the  solem- 
nity and  affectionate  earnestness  of  the  appeals,  the  eminently 
close,  searching,  and  powerful  character  of  the  addresses  to 
the  conscience,  the  simplicity  and  singular  clearness  with 
which  the  distinctive  and  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  gospel 

1  We  subjoin  the  queries  of  the  Committee,  to  which  the  state- 
ments of  the  different  ministers  were  answers. 

'  I.  Have  revivals  taken  place  in  your  parish  or  district,  and  if  so, 
to  what  extent  ? 

'2.  By  what  instrumentality  and  means  have  the  revivals  been 
effected  ? 

'  3.  What  special  circumstances,  in  the  preaching  or  ministrations  of 
the  instruments,  appear  to  have  produced  the  results  in  each  particular 
case  which  may  have  come  under  your  notice  ? 

'  4.  Did  the  person  or  persons,  whom  you  describe  as  the  instru- 
ments in  producing  the  effects  above  adverted  to,  address  children  ? — 
at  what  hours  ? — in  what  special  terms  1 — and  what  might  be  the  age 
of  the  youngest  of  them  ? 

'  5.  Do  you  know  what  was  the  previous  character  and  habits  of  the 
persons  converted  or  awakened  ? 

'  6.  Have  any  who  were  notorious  for  drunkenness  or  other  im- 
moralities, neglect  of  family  duties  or  public  ordinances,  abandoned 
these  evil  practices,  and  become  remarkable  for  their  diligence  in  the 
use  of  the  means  of  grace  ? 

'  7.  Could  you  condescend  on  the  number  of  such  cases  ? 


ABERDEEN  PRESB  YTER  Y.  49 

were  exhibited,  and  the  unwearying  perseverance  and  Christian 
ardour  with  which  the  means  of  grace  were  kept  in  operation. 

'  IV.  I  never  knew  of  any  particular  dealings  with  children. 
There  was  a  strong  impression  produced  upon  many  of  tender 
age  connected  with  my  own  schools,  and  I  am  happy  to  say 
that  the  good  effect  of  it  is  still  apparent ;  but  I  do  not  believe 
that  any  special  or  peculiar  means  were  taken  for  causing  a 
religious  excitement  among  the  very  young. 

'  V.  There  are  persons  known  to  me  who,  I  hope,  experienced 
a  saving  change,  and  who  were  previously  given  to  Sabbath- 
breaking  and  neglect  of  Christian  ordinances,  and  were  de- 
void of  any  serious  concern  about  the  well-being  of  their  souls 
in  the  future  world. 

' VI.  I  have  no  doubt  of  this. 

'  VII.  It  is  quite  impossible  for  me  to  do  so. 

'VIII.  The  conduct  of  many  has  been  consistent  from  the 
time  of  the  awakening,  about  a  year  ago,  to  the  present  date. 

•  8.  Has  the  conduct  of  any  of  the  parties  been  hitherto  consistent, 
and  how  long  has  it  lasted  ? 

'9.  Have  the  means  to  which  the  revivals  are  ascribed  been  at- 
tended with  beneficial  effects  on  the  religious  condition  of  the  people 
at  large  ? 

'  10.  Were  there  public  manifestations  of  physical  excitement,  as  in 
audible  sobs,  groans,  cries,  screams,  etc.  ? 

•  II.  Did  any  of  the  parties  throw  themselves  into  unusual  postures  ? 
'  12.  Were  there  any  parties  who  fainted,  fell  into  convulsions,  or 

were  ill  in  other  respects  ? 

'  13.   How  late  have  you  ever  known  revival  meetings  to  last  ? 

'  14.  Do  you  approve  or  disapprove  of  such  meetings  upon  the 
whole  ? — In  either  case,  have  the  goodness  to  state  why. 

'15.  Was  any  death  occasioned,  or  said  to  be  occasioned,  by  over- 
excitement,  in  any  such  case  ? — and  if  so,  state  the  circumstances  in  so 
far  as  you  know  them. 

'  16.  State  any  other  circumstances  connected  with  revivals  in  your 
parish  or  district,  which,  though  not  involved  in  the  foregoing  queries, 
may  tend  to  throw  light  upon  the  subject.' 

D 


50  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

'  IX.  Decidedly.  There  has  been  a  marked  general  im- 
provement. I  have  been  much  struck  with  this  among  my 
own  flock. 

'  X.  There  were,  on  several  occasions,  in  St.  Leonard's  Church. 

'  XI.,  XII.  I  understand  that  this  also  was  the  case. 

'XIII.  There  were  one  or  two  meetings,  I  believe,  which 
were  prolonged  till  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

'  XIV.  On  the  whole,  I  disapprove  of  them  strongly  ;  not, 
however,  so  strongly  as  I  do  of  our  Perth  fashionable  as- 
semblies, where  dancing  is  frequently  kept  up  till  three,  four, 
and  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  While  I  say  that  I  disap- 
prove very  strongly  of  religious  meetings  protracted  far  into 
the  night,  I  would  not  be  understood  to  speak  without  excep- 
tion, for  then  I  should  condemn  Paul's  meeting  at  Troas  (Acts 
xx.  7-1 1),  which  continued  much  longer  than  any  meeting  of 
the  sort  in  modern  times  that  I  have  ever  heard  of. 

'  XV.  Two  deaths  occurred,  which  I  have  heard  attributed  to 
the  excitement  connected  with  the  awakenings.  One  of  the 
individuals  was  thought  to  have  caught  cold  at  the  meetings, 
fever  ensued,  and  she  died.  I  am  not  aware  of  the  particulars 
of  the  other  case  ;  nor  do  I  know  how  far  there  is  good  reason 
to  believe  that  the  parties  in  question  would  have  been  now 
in  life  if  we  had  had  no  revivals.  I  may  add,  although  the 
point  is  not  mentioned  in  the  queries,  that  there  have  been 
a  few  cases  of  mental  derangement  apparently  connected  with 
the  awakenings. 

'  I  may  here  observe  that  queries  X.,  XL,  XII.,  XV.,  seem  to 
me  to  mean  substantially  this  :  Does  the  excitement  which 
vivid  discourses  of  the  truths,  both  alarming  and  consolatory, 
embraced  in  religion,  necessarily  produce,  exhibit  similar 
physical  phenomena  to  what  are  exhibited  by  excitement 
arising  from  any  other  cause  ?    And  I  answer  that  it  does. 

'  XVI.  The  only  other  circumstance  which  it  occurs  to  me 
to  state,  is  that,  in  the  month  of  February,  last  year,  sixteen 
young  persons  applied  to  me  for  admission  to  the  Lord's 
Table.     I  saw  them  twelve  or  fifteen  times ;  had  private  con- 


REPORTS  ON  REVIVALS.  51 

versation  with  them  ;  and  had,  therefore,  the  fullest  opportunity 
of  knowing  their  state  of  mind.  I  found  that  no  fewer  than 
ten  of  their  number  were  under  deep  and  solemn  impressions 
of  a  religious  nature,  which  had  been  derived  from  the  mini- 
strations of  Mr.  Burns  ;  and  eight  of  these,  at  least,  I  could  not 
but  judge,  were  truly  converted  from  sin  to  holiness,  "  from  the 
power  of  Satan  unto  God."  Never  had  I  so  interesting  and 
delightful  a  class  of  catechumens  as  on  that  occasion.  It 
may  be  supposed  that  I  have  anxiously  watched  their  subse- 
quent deportment.  I  have  done  so ;  and  I  rejoice  to  state, 
that  all  I  have  observed  is  confirmatory  of  the  reality  of  that 
change  which  seemed  to  have  taken  place. 

Andrew  Gray, 
Minister  of  the  West  Church  of  Perth. 
Perth,  2gth  January  1841.' 

We  give  next  Mr.  Milne's  own  statement.  It  does  not 
enter  into  particulars  ;  but,  brief  as  it  is,  it  is  very  satis- 
factory. 

'  1.  There  has  been  a  revival  to  a  considerable  extent  in  my 
congregation,  and  in  the  town  generally. 

'  2.  Chiefly  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  W.  Burns.  I 
believe  there  are  also  several  persons  who  consider  them- 
selves indebted  to  my  own  preaching,  and  that  of  Mr. 
Bonar  of  Collace,  and  Mr.  Cumming  of  Dumbarney,  who 
took  part  occasionally  in  preaching  and  conversing  with  the 
people. 

'  3.  I  had  abundant  opportunity  of  becoming  intimately 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Burns,  as  he  lived  and  laboured  with 
me  constantly  for  between  three  and  four  months.  I  never 
knew  any  one  who  so  fully  and  unfalteringly  obeyed  the 
apostolic  precept  :  "  Meditate  upon  these  things ;  give  thy- 
self wholly  to  them."  I  was  struck  with  his  close  walk  with 
God,  his  much  and  earnest  prayer,  his  habitual  seriousness, 


52  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  solemnizing  effect  which  his  presence  seemed  to  have 
wherever  he  went,  and  his  success  in  leading  those  with  whom 
he  conversed  to  anxious,  practical,  heart-searching  concern 
about  their  state  in  God's  sight.  In  public,  his  ministrations 
were  chiefly  of  an  awakening  nature,  addressed  to  the  un- 
converted. With  this  view,  his  subjects  were  always  wisely 
selected,  being  such  as  included  fundamental  points:  man's 
lost  state  as  a  sinner ;  its  marks  and  consequences ;  man's 
helplessness  as  a  sinner ;  the  vanity  of  all  his  endeavours 
to  justify  or  sanctify  himself,  and  the  certain  and  everlasting 
ruin  of  all  who  should  persevere  in  such  attempts  ;  Christ 
Jesus,  His  righteousness,  its  alone  sufficiency,  its  perfect  free- 
ness,  its  immediate  gift  to  all  who  believe  ;  the  blessed  effects 
of  such  faith  ;  the  Holy  Spirit,  His  work  in  convincing  and  con- 
verting, and  the  danger  of  resisting  Him.  These  subjects  were 
treated  more  subjectively  than  objectively,  which  Mr.  Burns 
was  the  better  enabled  to  do,  from  having  much  intercourse 
with  people  under  concern,  who  had  fully  opened  up  their 
minds  to  him.  The  effect  of  his  preaching  was  also  aided  by 
the  unusual  earnestness  and  solemnity  of  his  delivery,  as  well 
as  by  the  densely-crowded  state  of  the  church,  and  the  spirit 
of  prayer  and  expectation  in  which  very  many  came  to  the 
meetings.  In  compliance  with  the  language  of  the  query,  I 
have  spoken  of  the  chief  human  instrument;  but  I  am  per- 
suaded, both  from  what  I  saw  and  felt  at  the  time,  and  from 
what  I  have  since  known  of  the  permanent  and  blessed  results, 
that  a  greater  than  man  was  among  us  :  "  Not  by  power,  nor 
by  might,  but  by  my  Spirit."  I  never  witnessed  before,  nor  have 
I  since,  such  manifest  tokens  of  God's  gracious  presence  as 
were  vouchsafed  us  during  several  of  the  first  months  of  last 
year.  I  can  only  say,  in  the  words  of  Jonathan  Edwards, 
"  The  goings  of  God  were  then  seen  in  His  sanctuary,  God's 
day  was  a  delight,  and  His  tabernacles  were  amiable.  Our 
public  assemblies  were  then  beautiful ;  the  congregation  was 
alive  in  God's  service,  every  one  earnestly  intent  on  the  public 
worship,  every  hearer  eager  to   drink  in   the  words  of  the 


MR.  MILNE'S  REPORT.  53 

minister  as  they  came  from  his  mouth."  What  he  also  men- 
tions of  the  much  weeping  and  deep  concern  manifested  under 
the  preaching  of  the  word,  is  also  true  in  regard  to  the  meet- 
ings here,  but  is  noticed  in  a  subsequent  query. 

'  4.  There  was  no  address  specially  to  children,  though 
a  considerable  number  attended  the  meetings,  and  seemed 
deeply  affected.  Some  of  them,  on  being  questioned,  were 
found  to  possess  correct  views  of  their  state  as  sinners.  They 
had  prayer-meetings  among  themselves  in  several  parts  of  the 
town  ;  and  though  these,  as  was  perhaps  desirable,  were  soon 
relinquished,  yet  I  would  hope  that  some  on  these  occasions 
received  impressions,  which  God  will  acknowledge  as  His  own 
work. 

'  5.  I  had  only  been  settled  here  a  few  weeks  when  the 
revival  began,  and,  consequently,  had  little  previous  know- 
ledge of  the  people.  I  have  since,  however,  had  intercourse 
with  many;  some  were  godly  persons  before,  but  on  these 
occasions  they  seemed  to  have  been  literally  revived  and 
stirred  up.  They  received  enlarged  and  more  realizing  and 
influential  views  of  their  privileges  and  duties  as  Christians. 
The  generality,  however,  were  persons  who  had  either  been 
greatly  careless  of  religion,  or  had  been  resting  self-satisfied  in 
a  form  of  godliness,  though  destitute  of  its  power.  The  lan- 
guage frequently  used  was,  "  We  always  thought  we  were  well 
enough,  we  had  no  idea  we  were  such  sinners." 

'  6.  Yes,  though  I  cannot  condescend  upon  particulars. 

'  7.  Impossible,  as  the  persons  awakened  belonged  more  or 
less  to  all  the  different  congregations. 

'  8.  Many  are  to  this  day  growingly  adorning  the  gospel 
of  God  their  Saviour  in  all  things,  and  gradually  forming  a 
peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works.  I  am  acquainted  with 
families  where  all,  or  almost  all,  the  members  seem  to  have 
been  savingly  converted. 

1  9.  Decidedly  ;  during  the  time  the  awakening  continued 
the  state  of  the  town  was  greatly  changed.  The  watchmen  at 
night  often  remarked  that  they  had  little  now  comparatively  to 


54  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

do,  the  streets  were  so  quiet.  At  some  of  the  manufactories 
and  large  workshops  the  improvement  was  very  marked.  Of 
course  this  does  not  now  continue  to  the  same  extent ;  but  still 
there  is  a  sensible  improvement  within  the  last  twelve  months 
on  the  general  state  of  the  town,  as  various  circumstances  show. 

'  10.  There  were, 

'  ii.  Some  did. 

'  12.  There  were  various  instances  of  this. 

'  13.  Once  or  twice  till  one  or  two  o'clock ;  they  were 
generally,  however,  concluded  about  ten  o'clock,  or  a  little 
later.  It  was  often  exceedingly  difficult  to  prevail  on  the 
people  to  go  away. 

'  14.  I  disapprove,  because  they  interfere  with  family  arrange- 
ments, and  with  family  and  private  devotions  ;  they  may  oc- 
casion disquiet  in  families  where  some  of  the  members  attend 
them,  while  others  dislike  them ;  they  are  apt  to  produce  a 
kind  of  spiritual  dissipation,  that  causes  disrelish  for  ordinary 
ministrations,  and  they  may  lead  to  a  violent  revulsion  into 
the  opposite  extreme.  Still  there  are  circumstances  in  which 
I  should  feel  no  hesitation  in  prolonging  such  meetings  till 
morning,  as  we  know  the  Apostle  Paul  did  on  one  occasion. 
It  is  only  when  there  is  much  of  the  divine  presence  and 
blessing  attending  our  ministrations,  that  the  people  will  come 
out  to  week-evening  exercises,  far  less  continue  to  a  late  hour. 

'  15.  There  was  one  young  lady,  whose  death  was  attributed 
to  cold  caught  in  attending  these  meetings  at  the  beginning  of 
the  season.  Another  young  lady  died  during  the  summer, 
whose  death  was  thought  to  have  been  hastened  by  the  same 
cause.  She  was  one  of  the  earliest  converts  ;  but  one  of 
the  most  decided  and  most  hopeful,  and  died  in  great  peace. 
There  were  also  some  cases  of  mental  derangement,  and 
others  who,  for  a  time,  bordered  on  this  state ;  but  they  are 
all  long  ago  restored,  and  are  walking  consistently  as  believers. 

'  16.  I  would  remark  the  unusual  and  long-continued  thirst- 
ing for  the  word  which  the  people  manifested.  Night  after 
night,  for  many  weeks,  the  church  was  one  dense  mass  of 


MR.  MILNE 'S  REPORT.  55 


human  beings,  all  the  passages  being  crowded  with  persons, 
who  remained  standing  for  hours  together,  and  seemingly 
inaccessible  to  weariness  and  fatigue.  I  would  remark,  also, 
the  deep,  solemn,  almost  awful  attention  which  they  main- 
tained during  the  whole  of  the  services.  I  would  observe, 
also,  that  the  awakening  extended  to  many  miles  round.  Per- 
sons frequently  came  in  considerable  numbers  from  great 
distances  to  attend  the  meetings,  and  returned  home  through 
the  night.  I  may  also  remark,  that  one  of  the  things  which 
was  most  to  be  regretted,  during  the  awakening,  was  the  want 
of  a  sufficient  number  of  judicious  experienced  Christians  to 
take  charge  of  prayer-meetings,  which  were,  therefore,  neces- 
sarily entrusted  to  young  men.  And  now,  though  it  was  to 
me  a  time  of  much  labour  and  anxiety,  I  look  back  with 
thankfulness  that  I  was  privileged  to  see  such  a  season  ;  and 
it  is  my  desire  and  prayer  that  I  may  yet  see  similar  days  of 
the  right  hand  of  the  Most  High.' 

But  we  have  other  documents,  laid  before  another 
Church  Court.  In  the  same  year  the  Synod  of  Merse 
and  Teviotdale  took  up  the  subject,  and,  in  answer  to 
queries,  received  statements  which  it  may  be  well  to  pre- 
serve, as  they  have  not,  like  the  Aberdeen  report,  been 
published.  From  this  unpublished  record  I  make  the  two 
following  extracts.     First,  I  give  Mr.  Milne's  evidence  : — 

' Perth,  25th  October  1841. — I  was  favoured  with  your  letter  of 
queries  regarding  the  work  of  God  in  this  quarter.  I  regret 
much  that  I  did  not  make  an  effort  to  answer  it  immediately. 
My  reason  for  not  doing  so  was  my  hope  that  I  should  find 
time  to  do  it  at  some  length.  The  engagements,  however,  con- 
nected with  the  concert  for  prayer,  followed  by  those  of  our 
communion  season,  which  occurred  yesterday,  rendered,  or 
seemed  to  render,  this  impossible.  I  this  morning  write  rather 
for  the  purpose  of  acknowledging  your  letter,  than  with  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  communicate  any  information  that  will 


56  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

conduce  to  accomplish  the  end  of  your  inquiry.  You  are  pro- 
bably aware  that  I  formerly  furnished  a  short  account  of  God's 
work  here  to  the  Presbytery  of  Aberdeen.  That  account,  how- 
ever, was  written  hurriedly,  without  the  idea  that  it  would  be 
published,  and  the  questions  were  not  perhaps  fitted  to  elicit 
a  full  and  fair  view  of  the  subject.  I  subjoin  a  note  or  two, 
passingly,  in  answer  to  your  queries. 

' Previous  state  of 'the  people. — I  can  say  little  on  this  sub- 
ject, having  been  only  settled  here  about  two  months  when  the 
revival  began. 

'  First  symptoms  of  change,  and  circumstances  preparing 
the  way. — Perhaps  the  settlement  of  a  new  minister  may  have 
been  of  some  use,  at  least  in  my  own  congregation.  Indeed, 
I  know  of  cases  where  it  was  so.  There  was  also  a  longing, 
anxious  expectation  among  the  praying  people — a  kind  of 
cL7rox.c1pctlox.1x.  Their  hearts  had  been  stirred  by  what  had 
occurred  at  Kilsyth,  and  still  more  by  what  was  doing  at 
Dundee,  almost  at  their  own  door.  They  felt  a  kind  of  godly 
and  humbling  jealousy  that  the  Lord  should  visit  other  places, 
and  yet  pass  by  them.  As  is  said  of  Israel  in  the  days  of 
John,  not  a  few  were  in  expectation,  and  mused  in  their  hearts. 
I  mention  this  because  I  believe  it  to  be  an  important  element 
in  preparing  the  way  for  Him  who  usually  stands  at  the  door, 
and  will  not  force  His  way,  but  waits  till  He  is  invited  or 
constrained  to  come  in.  On  the  last  Sabbath  of  the  year, 
Mr.  W.  Burns  preached  for  me  in  the  afternoon.  He  asked 
those  who  wished  to  converse  concerning  the  state  of  their 
souls,  to  come  into  the  vestry  after  the  service.  I  had  been 
preaching  in  another  church  that  afternoon,  and  when  I  reached 
the  vestry,  found  four  or  five  persons  there.  It  was  late,  and  I 
proposed  that  they  should  go  home  for  a  little,  and  return  at 
seven  o'clock,  when  we  would  meet  with  them.  They  went 
accordingly;  and  when  we  returned  at  seven,  instead  of  the 
few  we  expected,  we  found  a  considerable  number  of  persons 
assembled  in  the  lower  part  of  the  church.  Mr.  Burns  prayed, 
and  sung  psalms  and  paraphrases,  making  remarks  before 


MR.  MILNE'S  REPORT.  57 

singing,  especially  on  the  51st  Psalm  and  44th  Paraphrase. 
There  was  deep  solemnity,  which  gradually  almost  awfully  in- 
creased ;  many  began  to  shed  tears,  and  to  throw  themselves 
on  their  knees  at  prayer,  in  the  seats  and  passages.  Mr.  B. 
was  speaking  plainly,  simply,  without  the  slightest  effort ;  and 
yet  perhaps  at  no  time  during  the  whole  season  of  revival 
was  there  more  of  the  effectual  presence  and  power  of  the  Lord 
than  on  that  night.  Most  of  those,  I  have  reason  to  believe, 
who  were  present,  were  either  quickened  or  lastingly  im- 
pressed. Hour  after  hour  passed,  and  still  they  would  not  or 
could  not  go  away.  It  was  near  midnight  ere  they  all  retired. 
Next  day  there  was  a  full  meeting  at  twelve  o'clock,  and 
another,  very  much  crowded,  in  the  evening  at  seven,  which 
lasted  for  several  hours.  Next  day  it  was  the  same,  and  the 
next,  and  the  next ;  and  thus  for  nearly  three  months  these 
daily  double  meetings  continued  without  interruption,  the 
evening  ones  always  densely,  oppressively  crowded,  and  con- 
tinuing usually  for  three  or  more  hours — the  passages  within 
and  without  being  completely  filled  with  people  standing  all 
the  time.  During  this  season  there  were  all  the  marks  of  a 
work  of  God  which  we  see  in  the  account  given  of  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel  by  the  apostles.  The  multitude  was  divided, 
families  were  divided ;  the  people  of  God  were  knit  together, 
they  were  filled  with  zeal  and  joy  and  heavenly-mindedness  ; 
they  continued  stedfast,  and  increased  in  doctrine  and  fellow- 
ship, being  daily  in  church  and  in  prayer-meetings  ;  and  num- 
bers were  constantly  turning  to  the  Lord. 

'  Nature  and  amount  of  change. — God's  people  quickened  ; 
backsliders  restored  ;  doubting  and  uncertain  brought  to  deci- 
sion and  assurance ;  hidden  ones,  who  for  years  had  walked 
solitarily,  brought  to  light,  and  united  to  a  family  of  brothers 
and  sisters  ;  and  a  large  number  of  the  worldly,  thoughtless, 
ignorant,  self-righteous  turned  to  the  Lord.  We  have  a  pecu- 
liar people  growing  up  among  us,  who  are  separate  from  the 
world ;  know  and  love  one  another ;  watch  over,  exhort,  and 
aid  one  another ;  they  seem  to  grow  in  humility  and  zeal,  and 


58  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

entertain  frequent  and  endearing  intercourse,  both  by  letter 
and  mutual  visits,  with  the  good  people  of  Dundee,  Aberdeen, 
and  other  places. 

i  Facts  illustrating. — Had  I  time,  I  could,  with  Mr.  Burns' 
help,  who  kept  a  record  of  cases  from  the  beginning,  furnish 
many  interesting  facts  relating  to  the  first  impressions  and 
subsequent  progress  of  different  individuals.  I  mention  only 
one,  that  of  more  than  two  hundred  young  persons  whom  I 
have  admitted  to  communion,  and  of  very  many  of  whom  I 
have  reason  to  hope  there  was  a  real  heart-work,  almost  all 
dated  the  origin,  or  deepening  and  perfecting,  of  their  con- 
victions from  this  season. 

' Means  employed. — The  means  chiefly  honoured  in  this  work 
was  the  preaching  and  conversation  of  Mr.  Burns.  I  regard 
his  appearance  as  a  kind  of  era  in  our  Church  affairs.  I  know 
how  dear  he  is  to  the  heart  of  multitudes  here,  and  in  the 
country  many  miles  around.  On  the  Tuesday  after  the  work 
began,  Mr.  Cumming  joined  us,  and  on  the  Friday,  Mr.  A. 
Bonar  ;  and  their  preaching  and  conversation  were  also  much 
blessed,  and  their  names  are  very  dear  to  the  hearts  of  our 
people.  There  were  numerous  open  and  private  prayer-meet- 
ings. The  zealous  exhortations,  example,  and  prayers  of  those 
who  had  themselves  been  awakened,  were  a  most  important 
means  of  alarming  and  bringing  in  others. 

1  Kind  of  preaching. — Solemn,  earnest,  affectionate,  beseech- 
ing ;  never  losing  sight,  or  rather  never  thinking  of  anything 
but  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners,  and  thinking 
nothing  done  if  this  was  not  accomplished.  The  ministers 
preached  after  much  prayer,  and  with  the  almost  assured  ex- 
pectation of  getting  the  blessing.  The  people  came  believing 
that  they  would  meet  with  God.  The  subject  was  Christ  Jesus 
in  His  fulness,  freeness,  offers  ;  and  privilege  and  duty  of  im- 
mediate acceptance,  and  danger  and  present  guilt  of  delay  or 
refusal.  Christ's  grace  and  kindness  to  even  the  vilest  sinners 
seemed  to  break  the  hearts  of  many.  Such  passages  as  the 
woman  that  was  a  sinner ;  beginning  at  Jerusalem ;  Ethiopian 


MR.  SONAR'S  REPORT.  59 

eunuch ;  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb  ;  He  was  made  sin  for  us,  and  He  righteousness  ; 
barren  fig-tree ;  washing  disciples'  feet.  I  should  say  that 
the  holding  forth  the  priestly  office  and  work  of  Christ  was 
specially  blessed.  But  the  goings  of  Jehovah  were  then  in  His 
sanctuary.  None  could  help  feeling  this  is  Bethel.  The  most 
careless  were  awed.  There  was  something  unspeakably  solemn, 
sweet,  and  exhilarating  in  the  services.  After  exercises  of 
several  hours'  continuance  there  was  no  feeling  of  weariness  or 
satiety.  People  who  were  worldly  then,  and  who  are  worldly 
now,  were  drawn  and  kept,  as  by  a  charm,  night  after  night, 
in  the  house  of  God,  instead  of  straggling  about  the  streets,  or 
haunting  places  of  amusement  and  dissipation.  I  felt  as  if  the 
presence  of  God  were  resting  on  the  whole  town ;  and  the  . 
country  round  was  shaken  for  many  miles.  My  time  is  gone. 
I  do  not  know  if  I  should  send  these  hurried  lines.  If  you 
wished,  I  would  try  to  draw  up  an  account  befitting,  as  much 
as  I  could,  the  momentousness  of  the  subject.  The  season  of 
which  I  have  been  speaking  is  pleasant  to  my  memory,  and  its 
fruits  remain.  I  like  the  queries  you  propose  ;  they  compre- 
hend the  subject.  I  have  often  heard  of  you  from  my  dear 
friend  and  brother,  A.  Bonar.  Accept  my  prayers  and  best 
wishes.  May  grace,  mercy,  and  peace  be  multiplied  to  you 
and  your  Synod.' 

I  give  next  the  evidence  of  Mr.  Bonar,  then  of  Collace, 
who  enters  a  little  more  into  detail. 

'  Collace,  October  20,  1841. — In  the  autumn  of  1838,  I  came 
to  be  assistant  minister  of  Collace,  a  parish  of  less  than 
eight  hundred  souls.  There  was  not  much  of  open  or 
gross  vice  among  the  people,  but  there  had  been  a  silent 
and  perpetual  flow  of  worldliness,  secret  vice,  and  lax 
morality,  in  which  each  countenanced  his  neighbour.  Many 
who  belonged  to  the  Parish  Church  had  good  acquaintance 
with  Scripture  doctrine,  but  their  religion  was  decency  and 
formality.     The  season  of  Handsel  Monday  was  a  day  of  un- 


60  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

checked  and  open  sin,  and  many  really  believed  that  drunken- 
ness, riot,  and  folly  at  that  time  were  no  way  sinful.  There 
were  scarcely  any,  even  among  those  looked  upon  as  superior 
to  others  in  piety,  who  reckoned  dances,  songs,  merry-makings, 
and  occasional  drinkings,  as  at  all  inconsistent  with  real  reli- 
gion. There  were  some  among  them  who  kept  up  the  orthodoxy 
of  the  truth,  but  had  almost  totally  lost  its  vitality  ;  most  of  them 
resting  contented  with  knowledge  and  intelligence,  even  deny- 
ing that  it  was  the  duty  of  a  believer  to  be  sure  of  his  conver- 
sion, and  attain  to  a  full  assurance  of  his  interest  in  Christ. 

'  During  the  first  eight  months  of  my  settlement  among 
them,  the  people  began  to  manifest  a  great  relish  for  ordi- 
nances, and  a  great  anxiety  to  be  visited  and  catechised. 
The  attendance  at  church  became  very  regular  and  full,  and 
Sabbath  profanation  very  rare.  A  Sabbath  school  held  in  the 
church  for  younger  children,  and  a  morning  class  for  those 
above  fifteen,  were  both  attended  by  almost  all  in  the  parish 
of  the  specified  ages.  I  began  a  weekly  prayer-meeting,  which 
I  conducted  without  any  formality  or  system,  expounding 
Scripture,  and  familiarly  laying  before  them  topics  connected 
with  revivals  and  spread  of  religion,  or  similar  subjects.  To 
this  the  people  nocked  in  crowds,  even  during  the  severest 
nights  of  winter.  Still  I  saw  nothing  of  a  real  work  of  the 
Spirit.  During  the  eight  months  I  knew  of  no  soul  converted, 
though  I  afterwards  had  reason  to  believe  that  there  were  two 
or  three  who,  during  that  time,  did  get  the  first  drops  of  grace. 
But  the  general  state  of  feeling  might  be  accurately  expressed 
by  the  saying  of  an  elderly  woman,  who  stated  her  mind  thus 
to  a  neighbour  :  "  If  Mr.  B.  goes  away  now,  he  will  leave  us 
worse  than  he  found  us  ;  for  we  are  halting  between  two 
opinions." 

'  It  was  at  the  end  of  these  eight  months  that  I  received  the 
call  to  be  one  of  the  deputation  to  Palestine  and  the  Jews. 
Circumstances  prevented  me  having  it  in  my  power  to  supply 
my  place  during  my  absence  in  the  manner  I  desired,  and  on 
my  return  the  parish  seemed  to  be  in  the  very  state  in  which  I 


MR.  SONAR'S  REPORT.  6i 

left  it.  They  had  read  the  letters  sent  to  them  from  abroad 
with  much  interest,  and  cordially  welcomed  our  return.  I  im- 
mediately resumed  the  weekly  prayer-meeting,  with  more  hope 
of  blessing  than  ever,  as  the  Spirit  had  that  year  been  poured 
out  on  other  places.  We  hoped  too,  that,  because  of  our  love 
to  Israel,  God  would  remember  us.  I  preached,  as  formerly, 
the  plain  doctrines  of  grace — the  sinner  utterly  lost,  requiring 
to  be  wholly  saved  by  the  Redeemer  ;  the  Holy  Spirit's  work 
in  opening  the  soul  of  the  sinner  to  receive  these  truths ;  and 
the  sure  and  present  forgiveness  that  is  conveyed  to  him  that 
believeth.  I  had  occasion  also  to  dwell  much  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  a  man  being  so  thoroughly  changed  that  he  could  not 
fail  to  know  that  old  things  were  passed  away ;  because,  while 
the  doctrine  of  conversion  was  admitted  in  the  parish,  it  was 
at  the  same  time  a  prevailing  and  obstinate  error  that  a  man 
might  be  a  regenerated  creature,  though  he  was  not  himself 
aware  of  having  undergone  any  change.  This  form  of  error 
was  silencing  the  anxieties  and  fears  of  a  vast  number.  I 
began  now  to  hear  of  one  or  two  meeting  together  for  prayer  ; 
and  the  regular  attendance  at  the  weekly  meetings  was  so  re- 
markable that  more  than  once  I  heard  people  say,  "  that  surely 
there  was  something  felt  by  them,  or  they  would  not  come  so 
often  to  hear  the  gospel  on  a  week  night."  There  was  a  great 
backwardness  on  the  part  of  individuals  to  tell  their  state  of 
mind.  Two  or  three,  however,  came  to  me  in  distress  of  mind; 
one  of  whom,  in  telling  me  her  case,  said  :  "  It  was  before  you 
went  to  Jerusalem  that  I  was  struck ;  you  said  at  a  prayer- 
meeting  that  a  soul  must  be  pure,  without  a  spot,  if  it  is  to 
enter  heaven ;  and  all  the  time  you  were  away  I  thought  on 
that,  and  how  it  could  be,  and  this  led  me  to  seek  the 
Saviour." 

'  I  was  in  the  habit  of  getting  those  of  my  brethren,  with 
whom  I  was  most  intimate,  to  assist  me,  such  as  Mr.  M'Cheyne 
of  St.  Peter's,  Dundee,  and  Mr.  MacDonald  of  Blairgowrie. 
In  the  middle  of  April  1840,  at  one  of  our  ordinary  meetings 
on  Wednesday  evening,  Mr.  Cumming  of  Dumbarney,  and  my 


62  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

brother,  Mr.  Horatius  Bonar,  from  Kelso,  were  assisting  me. 
The  night  before  we  had  kept  a  fast  appointed  by  the  Presby- 
tery for  the  state  of  the  Church,  which  had  been  attended  with 
very  solemn  effects,  and  this  night  the  meeting  was  fuller  than 
ever.  After  Mr.  Cumming  had  prayed  and  spoken  upon  the 
scapegoat  as  a  type  of  Christ,  Mr.  Bonar  followed,  and  took 
the  woman  of  Samaria  as  his  subject.  While  he  was  pressing 
on  all  present  the  immediate  reception  of  the  offer  of  the  living 
waters,  many  burst  into  tears,  old  and  young,  and  among 
the  rest,  several  boys  of  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age.  A 
deep  and  awful  solemnity  spread  over  the  whole  meeting, 
and,  after  the  blessing  was  pronounced,  fifty  or  sixty  people  re- 
mained in  their  seats,  most  of  them  in  tears.  Two  or  three 
old  people  came  along  the  passage  to  speak  with  us,  their 
faces  wet  with  weeping  ;  and  this  was  the  most  affecting  sight 
of  all.  We  appointed  another  meeting  for  the  following  even- 
ing, and  there  the  same  scene  occurred  again;  some  were 
even  more  awfully  impressed,  and  one  cried  aloud  after  the 
meeting  was  over.  On  the  Friday  evening  all  was  deeply 
solemn ;  but  that  night  nothing  external  appeared.  The  results 
of  this  week  were  such  as  proved  this  to  be  a  visit  of  the  Holy 
Spirit — some  drops  of  a  shower.  From  this  date  onwards,  I 
found  the  hearts  of  anxious  people  in  a  manner  burst  open. 
They  would  now  freely  tell  their  feelings,  and  ask  counsel  and 
direction.  This  was  not  confined  to  persons  of  any  particular 
age ;  several  aged  persons  were  among  the  number  of  the 
awakened  ;  one  of  these  said,  in  deep  distress,  "  I  have  gone 
all  my  life  thoughtlessly  to  the  Lord's  Table,  and  nobody  ever 
warned  me ; "  and  another  said,  "  Oh,  if  I  had  come  to  Christ 
sooner ! "  Of  the  young  people  who  were  that  night  very  deeply 
awakened,  I  know  three  or  four  instances  in  which  the  im- 
pression has  completely  faded  away  ;  and  the  same  is  true  of 
one  or  two  elderly  people.  In  some  others  the  impressions  of 
that  season  often  to  this  day  recur  to  mind,  and  they  speak  of 
it  as  a  thing  they  cannot  account  for.  In  these  cases  there 
has  been  no  saving  result.     But  there  are  many  others,  in 


MR.  BONAR'S  REPORT.  63 

whose  cases  the  work  of  grace  is  evident  and  undoubted  ;  and 
in  this  number  there  are  as  many  heads  of  families  as  young 
people.  The  general  impression  also,  on  the  whole  parish, 
has  been  very  marked.  At  the  communion,  that  same  season, 
very  many  were  alarmed  and  made  anxious  by  having  their 
attention  directed  to  the  truth  that  men  ought  to  come  to 
Christ  before  they  come  to  His  table ;  and  that  those  con- 
sidering themselves  unconverted  ought  to  stay  away. 

'  The  work  of  the  Spirit  has  not  ceased  among  us,  though  it 
has  not  spread  to  the  extent  we  longed  for  and  hoped.  Many 
persons  in  neighbouring  parishes  have  shared  in  our  blessings. 
At  the  same  time,  we  see  verified  among  us  the  words  of  our 
Lord,  "  I  came  not  to  send  peace,  but  a  sword."  We  meet 
with  scoffing,  and  suchlike  opposition,  from  the  profane  in  all 
the  country-side,  and  not  unfrequently  from  cold  and  dry  pro- 
fessors. Indeed,  to  these  last  I  believe  is  to  be  ascribed  a 
great  check  that  the  work  received,  as  they  used  their  influence 
and  example  to  prejudice  and  cool  the  anxieties  of  many,  and 
even  led  them  to  conform  to  the  world.  Nevertheless,  there 
is  now  among  us  a  godly  seed,  small  in  number,  but  decided 
on  the  Lord's  side,  rejoicing  in  the  glad  tidings. 

1 1  could  mention  many  individual  cases  that  would  illus- 
trate the  nature  of  the  work  among  us.  The  mother  of  a 
family,  who  had  long  been  anxious,  was  brought  to  peace  one 
Sabbath  while  I  was  preaching  on  John  iii.  16,  "  God  so  loved 
the  world."  She  saw  the  love  of  God  to  sinners,  and  was 
filled  with  such  joy,  that  it  seemed  to  her  the  most  wonderful 
sermon  she  had  ever  heard.  In  coming  out  of  church  she  in- 
quired of  others  what  they  thought  of  the  sermon,  and  then 
of  her  own  husband,  and  could  not  understand  how  they  were 
not  all  as  fully  occupied  with  it  as  she  was,  for  "  it  did  seem  to 
her  the  most  wonderful  she  ever  heard."  A  young  woman, 
who  is  a  striking  example  of  free  grace,  and  who  came  to 
peace  after  dreadful  distress,  said  to  me,  "  I  often  wished  to 
die  since  I  found  Christ,  for  I  am  afraid  of  sinning ;  but  one 
day  I   remembered   Christ's  words,  '  I  pray  not  that  Thou 


64  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

shouldst  take  them  out  of  the  world,  but  that  Thou  shouldst 
keep  them  from  the  evil.'"  The  same  person  underwent  a 
great  change  in  regard  to  her  temper  after  she  got  peace, 
being  ever  after,  as  she  said,  able  to  be  quiet  and  not  hasty 
when  provoked.  Another,  a  mother  of  a  family,  who  in  her 
agony  of  soul  was  on  the  point  of  setting  out  to  visit  me  at 
midnight,  came  to  sudden  peace  while  reading  Mark  xvi.  14  : 
"  He  upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief" — perceiving  that 
she  was  not  pleasing  Christ  but  resisting  Him,  by  not  ventur- 
ing to  believe.  A  sense  of  Christ's  love  filled  her  heart.  The 
father  of  a  large  family,  who  had  been  long  outwardly  respect- 
able, became  more  and  more  concerned.  One  evening  he 
asked  me  to  visit  him  after  he  came  in  from  his  work ;  and 
when  I  went,  showed  me  a  chapter  in  Guthrie's  Saving  Interest, 
"  which,"  said  he,  "  I  could  not  have  understood  a  few  weeks 
ago,  but  which,  I  feel,  just  describes  me  now."  That  night  he 
was  quite  unable  to  see  the  truth  ;  but  long  after,  at  a  prayer- 
meeting,  when  I  preached  upon  Abraham's  believing  God,  the 
Spirit  opened  his  heart,  and,  as  the  meeting  dismissed,  he  told 
me  he  had  found  what  he  sought.  For  several  days  after  he 
was  in  some  measure  upset  with  joy;  but  that  soon  passed. 
He  has  continued  to  manifest  a  remarkable  and  most  satis- 
factory change.  His  own  account  of  the  source  of  his  joy  to 
one  who  asked  him  to  explain  it,  was  this  :  he  turned  to 
1  John  v.  1 1  :  "  God  hath  given  us  eternal  life  ;  and  this  life  is 
in  His  Son  ;"  and  said,  "  Now  I  believe  that,  and  it  fills  me 
with  joy."  Another  man,  who  has  now  reached  very  clear  and 
scriptural  views  of  salvation,  when  he  became  deeply  con- 
cerned about  his  soul,  was  so  conscientious  that  he  gave  up 
family  worship,  which  he  had  formerly  observed  occasionally, 
"  because  he  thought  he  was  making  his  family  suppose  that 
he  knew  the  truth,  while,  in  fact,  he  only  saw  and  knew  his 
want  of  it." 

'  Such  is  a  brief  narrative  of  what  the  Lord  has  done  among 
us  during  these  three  years.  It  was  His  word  alone  which  His 
Spirit  blessed, — "  the  word  that  God  sent  preaching  peace  by 


MR.  M'CHEYNES  LETTERS.  65 

Jesus  Christ,"  accompanied  by  prayer  in  public  and  in  secret. 
We  have  seen  the  steps  of  our  God  and  King  in  His  sanc- 
tuary, and  we  expect  Him  again.  "  O  the  Hope  of  Israel,  the 
Saviour  thereof  in  time  of  trouble,  why  shouldest  Thou  be  as 
a  stranger  in  the  land  !'" 

The  above  extracts  will  give  a  better  idea  of  that  extra- 
ordinary work,  which  affected  the  whole  town  of  Perth  and 
its  neighbourhood,  than  any  description  of  my  own  could 
do.  Having  seen  a  good  deal  of  it  at  the  time,  and  heard 
of  it  from  those  directly  concerned,  I  would  only  add  that 
the  half  has  not  been  told,  nor  indeed  can  be.  In  remem- 
bering the  events  of  that  period,  one  is  stirred  up  greatly 
to  desire  the  return  of  such  days.  Tlien  it  was  that  we 
knew  something  of  what  it  was  to  be  ambassadors  for 
Christ ;  to  preach  in  earnest ;  to  be  listened  to  in  earnest ; 
and  not  to  labour  in  vain. 

It  was  of  the  work  in  Perth,  as  well  as  of  that  in  Dundee, 
that  Mr.  M'Cheyne  wrote  in  October  5,  1841  : — 

'  I  do  not  think  I  can  lay  any  more  facts  before  your  com- 
mittee than  those  contained  in  the  Aberdeen  letter.  Only  this 
I  would  say,  that  half  is  not  told  you  ;  no  words  can  describe 
the  scenes  that  have  taken  place  in  this  place,  when  God  the 
Spirit  moved  on  the  face  of  our  assemblies.  The  glory  is  greatly 
departed ;  but  the  number  of  saved  souls  is  far  beyond  my 
knowledge.' 1 

That  there  were  evils  connected  with  all  this  is  possibly 
true.  The  good  and  the  evil  go  together.  The  day  of 
separation  has  not  yet  come.  We  prayed  for  a  revival  of 
truth  and  faith.    It  has  come.    But  with  it  there  has  come  a 

1  Letter  to  the  convener  of  the  Committee  of  the  Synod  of  Merse 
and  Teviotdale. 

E 


66  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

revival  of  error  and  unbelief;  of  superstition  and  rationalism. 
We  were  not  prepared  for  this.  It  has  taken  many  by  sur- 
prise. Ought  it  to  have  done  so?  Did  we  expect  the  enemy 
to  sleep,  or  think  that  the  time  of  sowing  tares  was  gone  by? 

Both  truth  and  falsehood  sometimes  lie  long  hidden, 
like  the  seeds  of  flowers  and  weeds,  deep  under  the  soil  of 
an  old  garden,  till  some  change  of  temperature,  or  some 
trenching  of  the  ground,  makes  them  spring.  Then  they 
come  up  together.  That  which  vitalizes  the  one,  vitalizes 
the  other  also.  If  this  be  discouragement,  we  must  be  pre- 
pared for  it ;  we  must  face  it ;  we  must  preach  and  work 
as  men  who  believe  it.  It  has  never  been  otherwise  in  the 
history  of  the  Church  of  God ;  nor  shall  be  otherwise  till 
He  comes  again.     Satan  is  not  yet  bound.1 

This  chapter  may  now  close  with  some  brief  extracts 
from  letters  relating  to  the  period.  They  do  not  give  infor- 
mation as  to  events,  but  they  help  to  exhibit  the  two  men 

1  In  reference  to  the  work  in  Perth  we  have  the  following  testimony 
from  Mr.  Burns,  several  years  afterwards.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Milne, 
dated  Hong  Kong,  Jan.  29,  1848,  he  says  : — 'How  different  are  my 
present  engagements  from  those  of  1839  and  1840  in  Scotland;  and 
yet  this  is  the  work  to  which  I  at  first  devoted  myself;  and  all  that  I 
have  seen  and  felt  of  the  power  of  God  in  times  past  ought  the  more 
to  confirm  and  quicken  me  amid  the  difficulties  of  a  Chinese  mission. 
I  feel  clear  about  having  followed  the  call  of  God  in  coming  here, 
although  I  know  not  for  what  end  He  is  thus  leading  me.  I  trust 
the  Lord  is  still  remembering  you  in  Scotland,  and  confirming  His 
covenant  with  many.  Ah  !  when  I  think  of  Perth  and  of  days  gone 
past,  thoughts  begin  to  open  to  me  which  are  almost  too  much  to  bear. 
What  accounts  must  be  rendered  by  preachers  and  people  of  these  days 
of  the  right  hand  of  the  Most  High  !  Pray  for  me  that  I  may  not  fall 
back,  but  be  enabled  to  go  on  to  the  end  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord 
God.' 


MR.  M'CHEYNE1  S  LETTERS.  67 

of  God.     The  first  I  quote  is  from  Mr.  M'Cheyne  to  Mr. 
Milne,  Nov.  10,  1841  : — 

'  My  dear  Brother, — Many  thanks  for  "  Gloomy  sad 
Gethsemane."1  How  strange  that  the  darkest  night  in  all  this 
world,  should  give  light  and  peace  to  the  heart  !  I  don't  think 
you  are  so  much  with  us  as  I  with  you.  At  all  events,  we  are  not 
weary  of  you.  We  had  a  time  of  blessing.  Oh  for  more  !  I 
was  preaching  last  Sabbath  on  "  So  mightily  grew  the  word  of 
God."  William  Burns  comes  to  Edinburgh  this  week.  Let 
us  pray  for  him.'2 

Again,  in  the  same  fervent  strain  Mr.  M'Cheyne  writes : — 

'  Your  notes  cheer  me ;  for  I  have  much  need  of  it.  No- 
thing damps  me  so  much  as  being  kept  from  the  regular 
work  of  my  ministry.  We  had  a  good  day  yesterday.  I  was 
preaching  on  family  government,  Gen.  18,  19  :  "I  know  him, 
that  he  will  command  his  children."  What  will  all  our  preach- 
ing do,  if  family  government  be  not  revived  in  Scotland  ?  Ah  ! 
brother,  we  must  cry  louder  to  God  and  man  than  we  have 
ever  done.  See  the  blasphemies  uttered  by  the  railway  direc- 
tors. The  duty  of  trampling  God's  law  under  their  feet !  I 
think  all  God's  people  should  unite  in  prayer  on  this  subject, 
that  the  Scottish  Sabbath  may  be  preserved.  God  will  hear 
when  railway  directors  will  not.  We  had  a  sweet  time  last 
New  Year.  Of  course  I  cannot  be  with  you.  But  I  expect 
Somerville  to  be  with  me,  and  he  will  give  you  a  word  in  pass- 
ing. Farewell,  brother.  Pray  for  us,  especially  in  reference 
to  our  work.' 

As  one  needing  intercession  he  writes : — 


1  Referring  to  Hart's  old  and  well-known  hymn  on  Gethsemane. 

2  This  spirit  of  intercession  comes  out  very  prominently  in  Mr. 
M'Cheyne's  letters.  Here  is  the  last  sentence  of  one  about  this  time: 
— '  I  enclose  Andrew's  note  to  let  you  see  the  state  of  things.  Pray 
for  us,  as  we  for  you.  May  we  have  gales  passing  from  Perth  to  this, 
and  from  here  to  you,  and  from  heaven  to  both ! ' 


68  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


1  Remember  to  think  kindly  of  me,  and  pray  for  me,  for  I 
am  poor  and  needy.  Oh  that  I  had  the  wings  of  a  dove  !  Oh 
to  be  like  Jesus,  and  with  Him  to  all  eternity  !  Ever  yours  till 
then,— R.  M.  M'C 

Longing  for  the  day-break,  he  writes  : — 

'  I  preach  to-night  at  Newtyle,  and  to-morrow  evening  at 
Lintrathen,  in  a  barn,  and  on  Thursday  in  Kirriemuir.  Pray 
for  me,  for  I  am  a  poor  worm,  all  guilt  and  all  helplessness, 
but  still  able  to  say,  "  In  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and 
strength."  When  shall  "  the  day  break,  and  the  shadows  flee 
away  ?  "  When  that  which  is  perfect  is  come,  then  that  which 
is  in  part  shall  be  done  away.  I  long  for  love  without  any 
coldness,  light  without  dimness,  and  purity  without  spot  or 
wrinkle.  I  long  to  lie  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  tell  Him  I  am  all 
His,  and  ever  will  be.' 

Accepting  the  sympathies  of  brotherhood,  he  says  once 
more  : — 

'  Your  kind  note  was  a  great  refreshment  to  me.  Sympathy 
from  a  Christian  brother  is  like  "  the  wine  that  goeth  down 
sweetly,  causing  the  lips  of  them  that  are  asleep  to  speak."  I 
had  agreed  to  come  out  to  Collace,  where  I  now  am,  and 
therefore  was  shut  up  from  accepting  your  more  than  kind  in- 
vitation. Another  day  I  may  avail  myself  of  your  critical 
powers.  I  write  now  to  say  that  I  shall  gladly  preach  for  you 
on  Sabbath  first,  if  you  will  go  down  and  preach  for  me.  Now, 
dear  brother,  you  must  not  disappoint  me  in  this,  because  I 
came  up  here  (Collace)  without  making  any  provision.  Do  go 
down,  like  a  vessel  full  of  the  Spirit,  and  may  you  be  blessed 
among  the  people  !  I  am  like  a  dry  reed,  scarcely  fit  for  any- 
thing. Yet  God  will  get  the  more  glory  if  He  will  blow  His 
sweet  Spirit  through  me.  Brother  Andrew  bids  me  say  that 
you  must  be  here  on  Monday.' 

In  the  following  way  does  the  Dundee  shepherd  transfer 
one  of  his  flock  to  the  Perth  shepherd : — 


MR.  MILNE'S  LETTERS. 


*  My  dear  Brother, — I  send  you  another  soul  to  care  for, 
a  name  to  write  on  your  breastplate  when  you  go  in  before  the 
Lord,  I.  B.  She  seems  really  to  have  had  her  heart  opened  to 
attend  to  the  voice  of  Jesus.  She  goes  to  a  farm  near  Perth, 
and  is  to  attend  you.  .  .  • .  Oh  that  God  would  rend  the 
heavens  and  come  down,  and  fill  this  place  with  His  presence  ! 
I  add  no  more ;  but  pray  for  weary  travellers  like  yours  ever, 
— R.  M.  M'C.  Faint  yet  pursuing.— nt/i  Nov.  1841.  Day 
of  Culsalmond  intrusion.' 

To  myself  Mr.  Milne  writes  : — 

'  My  ever  dear  Brother, — I  am  just  favoured  with  your 
welcome  note,  and  rejoice  in  the  prospect  of  your  coming. 
You  will  give  Mr.  Walker  part  of  the  fast-day,  and  me  the 
evening,  as  last  time,  and  then  preach  straight  on,  Friday, 
Saturday,  and  Sabbath.  I  think  our  people  have  been  growing 
stronger  since  you  were  here  They  got  an  open  door  to 
the  fountain,  and  I  really  feel  that  they  have  not  misim- 
proved  it.  So,  courage  !  I  have  been  in  the  Highlands,  and 
enjoyed  it  exceedingly.  They  ask  me  back ;  and  we  may  take 
a  run  up  for  a  day  or  two,  when  you  come.  There  is  an  open 
door.  But — Saturday,  Saturday.  So  farewell.  Yours  very 
affectionately,— J.  M.' 

To  Mr.  Somerville  he  writes  : — 

'  We  seem  to  forget  that  our  Master  has  received  the  pro- 
mise of  the  Father,  and  that  He  baptizes  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  longer  I  live  I  see  the  more  clearly  we  are  saved  by  grace. 
Theoretically  we  readily  admit  this  ;  but  we  come  slowly  to  a 
humbling,  realizing,  practical,  habitual  sense  of  it  .  .  .  Look 
at  Phil.  ii.  20,  21.  Have  you  ever  thought  this  rather  severe  ? 
When  I  look  at  my  own  heart,  and  judge  even  more  charitably 
of  others  than  of  myself,  I  fear  it  is  too  true.  Hence  I  fear  the 
absence  of  the  spirit  of  love.  He  honours  Christ,  and  we 
have  an  under- current,  self-hotwur,  which  He  will  not  work 
with  or  aid.  Search  us  and  try  us  !  Yet  it  needs  not  diligent 
search,  for  I  fear  we  shall  find  it  polluting  all  we  do.' 


70  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

To  Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace  he  thus  writes  in  1840  : — 

'  I  wish  you  would  write  me  often,  for  I  find  it  for  a  long 
time  refreshing,  though  it  were  but  a  few  words.  You  remem- 
ber the  words,  "In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,"  etc.  ?  I  have  just 
been  at  the  infirmary,  and  found  a  little  boy,  Jamie  Thomson, 
about  twelve  years  old,  lying  there  threatened  with  blindness. 
He  cannot  see  except  with  one  eye,  and  all  he  knows  is  the 
difference  between  day  and  night.  Poor  little  fellow !  he  is 
surprisingly  patient.  He  says  he  is  sometimes  cast  down,  but 
he  revives  again.  I  am  told  by  his  sister  that,  after  the  last 
Sacrament,  there  was  a  great  change  in  him ;  and,  on  ques- 
tioning him  as  to  the  cause,  he  said  that  he  never  thought 
about  divine  things  till  the  evening  of  the  last  Sacrament,  when 
he  thought  what  a  happy  thing  it  was  to  be  among  the  people 
of  Jesus,  and  to  be  clothed  with  the  white  robes !  I  meet 
with  many,  dear  brother,  to  whom  that  evening  seems  to  have 
been  blessed.' 

The  truths  preached  were  '  old  and  plain.'  It  was  the 
divine  power  which  went  along  with  them  that  made  them 
tell.  They  were  preached  by  men  who  had  got  the  great 
question  of  their  own  acceptance  settled,  and  knew  the 
meaning  of  the  apostle's  words,  '  'Who  hath  reconciled  us 
to  himself  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  committed  to  us  the 
ministry  of  the  reconciliation'  (2  Cor.  v.  18). 

Immediate  forgiveness  to  the  sinner,  upon  his  recep- 
tion of  the  divine  testimony  to  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  the  Son  of  God ; — this  was  their  message.  It  did  its 
work,  and  was  life  from  the  dead  to  multitudes.  '  He 
that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born  of  God.' 

'  Peace  with  God,'  as  the  present  result  of  a  believed 
gospel,  was  what  they  presented  and  pressed ;  not  peace 
as  the  issue  of  a  lifetime's  struggles,  but  peace  at  once, 


THE  TRUTHS  PREACHED.  71 

through  Him  who  has  made  peace  by  the  blood  of  His 
cross  ;  peace,  not  flowing  from  the  ascertained  excellency 
of  our  faith,  either  as  to  quantity  or  quality,  but  from  the 
ascertained  excellency  of  Him  on  whom  the  chastisement 
of  our  peace  was  laid.  They  made  each  hearer  feel  that 
there  was  nothing  between  him  and  the  cross,  neither 
barrier  nor  distance ;  that  distrust  was  not  humility,  and 
that  all  unbelief  was  a  crucifying  the  Son  of  God  afresh 
and  putting  Him  to  an  open  shame ;  that  each  weary  son 
of  man,  as  such,  was  entitled,  nay,  commanded,  to  rest  at 
once  upon  God's  free  love,  not  as  the  result  of  his  doing 
or  having  done  one  good  thing,  but  simply  in  consequence 
of  that  one  good  thing  done  upon  the  cross, — the  finished 
work  of  Him  who  is  God  manifest  in  flesh. 

Sinners  are  by  some  directed  to  go  to  Christ ;  and  so 
far  it  is  well.  But,  then,  it  turns  out  that  it  is  only  for 
preliminaries  to  salvation  that  they  are  in  the  first  place  to 
go,  and  not  for  salvation  itself.  They  are  instructed  to 
keep  at  preliminaries  (such  as  conviction,  faith,  repentance) 
until  these  have  become  sufficiently  substantial  to  warrant 
them  to  trust  Christ  implicitly,  and  to  draw  the  conclusion 
that  they  are  saved.  Mr.  Milne,  and  others  whom  God 
honoured  to  do  His  work  in  those  years,  sent  the  sinner 
straight  to  Christ  for  salvation, — for  an  immediate  salva- 
tion :  '  Whoso  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  saved,' — not  merely,  shall  get  faith,  and  godly  sorrow, 
and  humility,  but,  shall  be  saved.  That  same  gospel  which 
warrants  a  man  to  go  to  Christ  for  anything,  or  to  expect 
anything,  warrants  him  to  go  for  everything,  and  to  expect 
everything.     God  has  kept  faith  with  the  world.     He  pro- 


72  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


mised  a  Saviour  ;  and  in  due  time  that  Saviour  came.  So 
does  He  keep  faith  with  the  sinner.  He  promises  that 
whosoever  consents  to  be  indebted  to  this  Saviour  for 
life  shall  have  it  on  the  spot.     He  keeps  His  word. 

It  was  with  this  free  gospel  that  the  men  of  '39,  '40, 
and  '41,  went  forth  to  do  the  work  of  the  ministry.  It 
was  with  this  weapon  that  they  assailed  the  rebellious 
heart ;  not  parleying  with  the  conscience,  but  laying  hold 
of  it ;  not  giving  place,  even  for  a  moment,  to  the  sinner's 
excuses  or  reasons  for  delay,  but  urging  him  with  the 
divine  demand  and  claim ;  calling  on  him,  at  the  peril  of 
aggravated  and  augmenting  guilt,  to  receive  at  once  the 
great  salvation. 

Another  of  his  hymns  written  in  after  years  may  be  here 
inserted,  as  suitably  closing  the  chapter : — 

•TO  THE  SINNER. 

'  Open  thy  doors,  O  stubborn  heart, 
Thy  gates  of  stone  fling  wide  apart, 

The  Lord  of  heaven  is  come  ! 
He  left  for  thee  His  throne  and  state, 
Intent  to  take  thee  for  His  mate, 

And  make  thy  heart  His  home. 

Long  has  He  tracked  thy  devious  way, 
And  seen  thee  wandering  far  astray, 

Upon  destruction  bent. 
But  yet  He  would  not  thee  forsake, 
Nor  from  thee  would  His  mercy  take, 

But  oft  deliverance  sent 

He  called  :  His  voice  thou  wouldst  not  hear  ; 
He  frowned  :  His  wrath  thou  wouldst  not  fear  ; 
His  gifts  were  all  misused. 


HYMN.  73 


But  still  He  plied  His  thankless  task, 
And  condescended  oft  to  ask, 
Though  oft  He  was  refused. 

Look  forth,  and  see  who  courts  thy  love. 
And  longs  to  take  thee  for  His  dove, 

To  nestle  in  His  breast. 
Fain  would  He  break  thy  galling  chain, 
Fain  would  He  all  thy  foes  restrain, 

And  lead  thee  into  rest. 

What  hast  thou  to  be  valued  more 
Than  He  who  stands  thy  gate  before, 

And  access  seeks  to  win  ? 
Art  thou  not  wretched,  naked,  blind, 
With  unclean  heart,  distempered  mind. 

All  darkness  and  all  sin  ? 

Awake,  O  Spirit  of  the  Son, 
Thy  olden  works  again  be  done, 

In  opening  closed  hearts. 
Put  in  Thy  hand,  the  bars  undo, 
The  carnal  mind  with  grace  renew, 

Before  the  Lord  departs. 

Without  Thee,  vain  the  trumpet's  blast. 
In  vain  the  summons  wide  we  cast, 

Till  Thou  Thy  help  extend. 
Our  field  with  precious  seed  is  sown, 
But  yet  with  thorns  'tis  all  o'ergrown 

Till  Thou  in  rain  descend. 

Praises  to  Him  the  Son  who  gave  ; 
Praises  to  Him  who  came  to  save  ; 

But  praises,  too,  to  Thee 
Who  goest  forth  to  work  unseen 
(Tho'  soon  we  know  where  Thou  hast  bee:i) 

To  set  the  captive  free.' 


CHAPTER    VL 
1841-1843. 

CHURCH   MOVEMENTS  AND   LETTERS. 

IN  the  end  of  1841,  the  Christian  people  of  the  Church 
of  Scotland  began  to  unite  in  defence  of  their  spiri- 
tual liberties,  and  in  maintenance  of  Christ's  regal  rights 
as  the  Church's  Head  and  the  world's  King.  These  asso- 
ciations multiplied  over  the  whole  land,  carrying  on  their 
operations,  till  superseded  by  the  Disruption  of  1843. 

In  these  movements  Mr.  Milne  took  no  lukewarm  part. 
Though  by  no  means  an  '  ecclesiastic '  in  the  common 
sense  of  the  word,  he  was  a  thorough  Presbyterian,  a 
vigorous  maintainer  of  ancient  doctrine  and  Reformation 
discipline.  Those  who  counted  upon  his  laxity  in  regard 
to  Church  principles,  and  who  were  persuaded  that  a  man, 
so  spiritual,  and  so  silent  in  Church  courts,  would  take  no 
part  in  the  struggles  of  these  years,  were  surprised  at  the 
resolute  decision  which  he  showed  in  adopting,  and  the 
energy  in  maintaining,  the  great  ecclesiastical  principles 
then  battled  for.  He  acted  on  the  principle  which  our 
General  Assembly,  in  1646,  thus  stated  to  the  divines  of 
the  Westminster  Assembly  :  '  The  smallest  of  Christ's  truths 


CHURCH  QUESTIONS.  75 

(if  it  be  lawful  to  call  any  of  them  small)  is  of  greater 
moment  than  all  the  other  businesses  that  ever  have  been 
debated  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this  day.' 

In  the  midst  of  the  great  warfare  of  these  years,  and 
in  spite  of  bustle  and  distraction,  Mr.  Milne  '  in  patience 
possessed  his  soul.'  The  ecclesiastical  turmoil  seemed  to 
elevate,  not  to  depress ;  to  spiritualize,  not  to  secularize. 
All  the  brethren  whom  he  loved,  and  in  whose  fellowship 
he  delighted,  were  of  one  mind  on  the  questions  which 
were  dividing  the  Church  courts.  Hence  they  could  meet 
together,  confer  together,  pray  together.  There  was  no 
distance  nor  misunderstanding  nor  suspicion.  All  were 
of  one  heart  and  of  one  soul.  Mr.  Milne's  loving  spirit 
shrunk  sensitively  from  aught  like  separation,  on  any 
point,  from  those  whom  he  loved.  Some  years  after  the 
Disruption  he  thus  writes :  '  I  should  have  been  grieved, 
and  surprised  far  more,  if  there  could  have  been  discord- 
ance between  dear  brother  and  myself.     I  would 

give  up  a  good  deal  rather  than  not  agree  with  you ;  and  I 
would  go,  I  don't  know  how  far  about,  rather  than  lose 
your  company.'  During  the  months  before  his  death,  the 
prospect  or  possibility  of  variance  among  brethren  was  in- 
expressible pain  to  him.  But  in  the  years  preceding  the 
Disruption,  there  was  entire  unity  among  the  evangelical 
brethren  in  the  Church.  As  was  said  by  one  speaker  at 
the  Convocation,  in  reference  to  the  band  who  afterwards 
formed  the  Free  Church :  '  Ye  are  in  our  hearts,  to  die  and 
live  with  you'  (2  Cor.  vii.  3).  Never,  perhaps,  had  evan- 
gelical ministers  been  so  thoroughly  and  compactly  united. 

But  there  was  more  than  unity.     There  was  a  manifest 


76  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


quickening  throughout  Scotland.  The  Church  questions 
agitated  were  not  those  of  partisanship  or  routine,  they  were 
vital  and  spiritual,  both  in  themselves  and  in  their  bear- 
ings. They  centred  in  Christ  Himself ;  Christ  the  Law- 
giver of  the  Church  \  Christ  the  Lawgiver  of  the  realm. 
Hence,  in  handling  them,  Christian  men  were  dealing  with 
the  Master  and  the  Master's  honour.  The  questions  were 
summed  up  in  two  :  '  Shall  Christ  give  laws  to  the  Church, 
or  shall  the  Church  give  laws  to  herself?  Shall  Christ 
give  laws  to  the  nations,  or  shall  the  nations  give  laws  to 
themselves  ? '  Christian  men  had  not  to  come  down  to 
secularities  and  externalisms  in  maintaining  these.  They 
felt  that  they  were  discussing  matters  which  touched  their 
spiritual  interests  on  every  side,  and  that  they  were  con- 
tending for  truths  which  brought  their  souls  in  contact  with 
the  Lord  Himself.  Hence  Mr.  Milne  writes  to  Mr.  Somer- 
ville :  '  Are  you  going  anywhere  to  speak  on  the  Church 
question  ?  Or  will  you  go,  if  asked  ?  R.  M'Cheyne 
goes  north,  in  a  week  or  two,  to  Ellon  and  Deer  Presby- 
teries. So  we  shall  have  to  take  St.  Luke's  Communion 
between  us.  Accept  my  prayer  that  you  may  inherit 
Jacob's  heritage — Gen.  xxviii.  15 — and  Abraham's:  "I 
will  bless  you,  and  make  you  blessings."  I  wish  I  could 
give  all  my  foolish  heart  to  Jesus,  and  seek  all  my  con- 
solation from  Him.' 

The  real  character  of  the  time,  and  the  true  meaning 
of  its  events,  were  well  understood  by  Mr.  Hewitson  when 
he  wrote  :  '  Now  is  not  a  time  to  cry  out,  "  The  Church  is 
in  danger ; "  it  is  a  time  to  cry  out,  with  the  voice  of 
warning,  "  Tlie  Slate  is  in  danger."     Judgment  in  this  land 


THE  DISRUPTION.  77 


is  beginning  with  the  righteous ;  what,  then,  will  the  end 
be  of  those  who  obey  not  the  gospel  of  God  ?  This  is  a 
critical  time  for  the  world?  Into  this  feeling  many  of  us 
entered  ;  among  these,  not  least,  John  Milne.  The  Church, 
he  knew,  was  all  safe,  if  she  failed  not  in  her  duty ;  but 
what  of  the  State,  if  she  failed  in  hers  ?  '  If  we  weep,' 
wrote  he,  '  it  is  not  for  ourselves,  but  for  our  country, 
which,  by  this  act  of  oppression,  may  fill  the  cup  of  her 
national  iniquity,  and  cause  the  Lord  to  withdraw  those 
barriers  which  have  hitherto  prevented  the  floods  of  error 
and  calamity  from  breaking  in.'1 

*  This  country,'  he  writes  again,  '  is  interested  in  this  matter : 
I  infer  this  from  a  simple  Bible  principle.  It  is  said  by  the 
Apostle  Paul,  Eph.  i.  22,  "  God  hath  put  all  things  under 
Christ's  feet,  and  hath  given  Him  to  be  the  Head  over  all  things 
to  the  Church."  Here  we  learn  two  important  truths  :  First, 
Christ  has  supreme  and  universal  power — He  is  the  Head  over 
all  things  in  heaven  ;  the  angels  dwell  in  His  presence  and 
rejoice  to  do  His  will.  He  is  the  Head  over  all  things  in  hell ; 
the  lost  spirits  tremble  and  are  constrained  to  obey.  He  is  the 
Head  also  over  all  things  on  earth;  princes,  judges,  magistrates, 
and  other  powers  that  be  are  His  subjects,  they  are  ordained 
by  Him,  they  are  accountable  to  Him,  and  will  in  a  little  while 
stand  before  His  great  white  throne.  The  time  cometh  when 
they  shall  all  remember  and  turn  to  the  Lord  ;  when  the  kings 
of  Tarshish  and  of  the  isles  shall  bring  presents,  when  the 
kings  of  Sheba  and  Seba  shall  offer  gifts.  A  second  thing 
which  we  learn  from  these  words  is, — the  use  which  Christ 
makes  of  His  vast  power.  He  is  Head  over  all  things  to  the 
Church  ;  that  is,  He  employs  the  power  which  He  has  over  all 
things  for  the  good  of  the  Church,  to  protect,  extend,  and  per- 

1  Second  letter  to  the  people  of  God  in  St.  Leonard's  Churcn, 
Perth,  dated  7th  Feb.  1843. 


78  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

feet  it.  If  such  is  the  use  which  He  makes  of  His  supreme  and 
universal  power,  then  surely  earthly  rulers  and  judges  are  bound 
to  make  the  same  use  of  that  limited  and  delegated  power  which 
they  receive  from  Him.  They  are  set  up  by  Him,  they  are  His 
servants,  His  stewards ;  and  therefore  they  plainly  ought  to  em- 
ploy the  power  which  He  gives  them,  mainly  to  preserve,  and 
further,  and  comfort  His  church;  and  if  they  refuse  to  do  so,  they 
are  rebels  against  their  heavenly  Master,  and. probably  bring  a 
curse  upon  their  country,  while  they  certainly  expose  them- 
selves, as  individuals,  to  the  condemnation  of  unrighteous  ser- 
vants in  the  day  of  accounts.  Brethren,  this  is  a  question  in 
which  we  are  interested,  not  only  as  Christians,  but  also  as 
right-hearted  Scotchmen,  concerned  for  our  country's  weal. 
"  The  kingdom  and  nation  that  will  not  serve  Christ  shall 
perish,  yea  those  nations  shall  be  utterly  wasted  "  (Isa.  lx.  12).'1 

I  do  not  enter  at  length  into  details  of  the  Disruption. 
Mr.  Milne  had,  by  letters  and  otherwise,  prepared  his 
people  for  that  event ;  and  when  the  time  came,  the  great 
majority  went  with  him, — ten  out  of  fifteen  elders,  and  a 
still  larger  proportion  of  the  members.  At  the  last  Com- 
munion before  the  crisis  there  were  nearly  900  communi- 
cants ;  and  at  the  first  Communion  after  it  there  were  843. 
All  the  Sabbath-school  teachers,  with  their  300  scholars, 
quitted  the  old  walls.  Free  St.  Leonard's  Church  was 
opened  before  the  close  of  the  year,  and  Mr.  Milne's  first 
text  was  Ps.  xxiv.  7,  '  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates.' 

There  had  been  several  ebullitions  of  hostility  towards 
him  and  his  work,  beginning  with  the  proposal  on  the  part 
of  some  of  the  managers  to  exclude  William  Burns.  The 
last  and  most  important  was  on  the  10th  of  May  1843, 

•T  Letter  to  the  people  of  God  in  St.  Leonard's  Church,  Perth,  dated 
19th  January  1842. 


THE  DISRUPTION.  79 


when  an  interdict,  on  the  part  of  some  of  these  same 
managers,  was  served  upon  Mr.  Milne,  prohibiting  him 
from  using  the  church  for  meetings  in  reference  to  the 
principles  then  at  stake,  and  the  great  crisis  of  the 
hour. 

Among  the  few  who  left  him  was  his  beadle,  of  whom 
he  hoped  better  things,  though  that  official,  in  the  exer- 
cise of  his  calling,  had  not  done  much  to  help  the  meet- 
ings of  1840.  All  that  Mr.  Milne  said  to  him,  on  meeting 
him,  was,  'Oh  Joseph,  your  name  should  have  been 
Judas,  not  Joseph.'  Little  was  known  of  Joseph  subse- 
quently. He  died,  I  believe,  some  years  ago;  and  his 
wife,  upon  her  deathbed,  sent  for  Mr.  Milne ;  as  if  she 
could  not  die  without  her  old  minister,  whom  she  and  her 
husband  had  deserted.    There  was  hope  in  her  death. 

Conversing  one  day  with  a  minister  before  the  Disrup- 
tion, and  finding  that  he,  notwithstanding  the  professions 
of  former  years,  was  resolved  not  to  let  go  his  hold  of  the 
Establishment,  Mr.  Milne  turned  suddenly  round  upon 
him,  and  said,  '  I  see  how  it  is.  You  are  just  like  Issachar. 
You  see  that  the  land  is  pleasant  and  rest  good,  and  so 
you  are  about  to  bow  your  shoulder  to  bear.'  The  words 
were  fitly  spoken;  and  were  true  of  others  besides  the 
minister  thus  addressed. 

In  the  great  gathering  in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Edin- 
burgh, on  the  well-known  18th  of  May  1843,  Mr.  Milne 
was  present,  as  might  have  been  expected.  He  and  I 
were  together.  He  lingered  a  little  behind,  or  rather  went 
back  '  to  look,'  as  he  said,  '  at  the  faces  of  the  Moderates..' 
He  rejoined  me  immediately ;  and,  along  with  Mr.  Thomas 


8o  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Brown,  now  of  the  Dean  Church,  Edinburgh,  we  walked 
together  to  Tanfield. 

About  two  months  before  this,  on  the  25th  of  March, 
Robert  M'Cheyne  died  ;  and  some  of  us  have  not  yet  for- 
gotten him,  though  he  has  been  absent  from  us  these  six- 
and-twenty  years.  How  Mr.  Milne  felt  the  removal  of 
one  with  whom  he  had  been  so  intimately  and  lovingly 
associated,  the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Somerville  will 
show  : — 

1  My  dearest  Brother, — I  am  thankful  to  find  that  our 
hearts  answer  to  one  another  at  this  season.  I  also  feel  a 
tenderer,  stronger  love  for  the  survivors  of  our  now  diminished 
circle.  I  suppose  we  both  feel  like  a  mother  who  has  had  one 
of  her  little  ones  taken  away,  and  startedly  clasps  the  re- 
mainder more  closely  to  her  heart.  I  never  apprehended 
danger  till  our  brother  was  gone  ;  and  even  now  I  don't  think 
I  have  realized  the  fact  that  I  shall  never  see  him  again  on 
earth.  I  shall  not,  I  suppose,  realize  it,  till  I  am  in  Dundee. 
His  being  in  heaven  makes  me  feel  it  nearer,  dearer,  and  more 
familiar.  He  is  another  witness ;  let  us  lay  aside  every  weight. 
I  think  God  is,  in  some  degree,  answering  the  prayer,  that  He 
would  give  us  a  double  portion  of  His  Spirit.  I  think  I  feel 
more  fixedly  crucified  and  soft  than  I  did.  I  regard  this 
operation  of  God's  hand  as  the  loudest  note  we  have  yet  had 
of  the  war-trumpet,  and  the  clearest  intimation  that  our  help 
is  in  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  But  let  us  quit  us  like  men.  He 
who  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things.  And  now  let  us  love 
one  another  and  be  more  faithful,  and  pray  more  frequently 
and  more  earnestly.  The  only  real  friends  I  have  ever  had  in 
the  world  are  the  little  family  of  Jacob,  of  whom  Joseph  is  now 
away.  Nowhere  do  we  open  our  hearts  to  one  another  but  at 
the  throne  of  grace.  Oh,  unspeakable  privilege  of  knowing 
and  being  known  !  My  heart  warms  and  enlarges  as  I  muse. 
Look  at  Hos.  v.  15,  and  v.  1-3.     These  are  the  texts  I  am 


MR.  M*  CHE  YNES  DEA  TIL  8 1 

thinking  of  for  to-morrow  forenoon  and  afternoon.  Pray  for 
me  on  Thursday  evening.  Like  you,  I  was,  in  speaking  with 
our  people,  who  have  been  most  widely  and  deeply  affected, 
led  to  think  on  the  words,  "  Our  friend  Lazarus  sleepeth,"  as 
conveying  the  ideas  rest,  refreshment,  awakening,  security 
in  Jesus ;  "  With  Christ,"  and  "  will  come  again."  The  two 
thoughts  that  occurred  were — Is  it  well  with  him  ?  and  shall 
we  see  him  again  ?  I  ask  your  prayers.  I  shall  make  men- 
tion of  you  to-morrow  (Sabbath),  and  ask  that  you  may  find  it 
a  day  of  more  abundant  life  to  those  who  live,  and  of  quicken- 
ing to  those  who  are  still  dead.  We  have  one  fewer  to  pray 
for  to-night.1  I  never  thought  of  it  till  now.  I  think  it  will 
be  good  if  you  stay.  We  may  never  meet  again  on  earth. 
Ever  yours  affectionately, — J.  M.' 

Such  were  his  first  thoughts,  when  the  tidings  of  that 
heavy  stroke  reached  him.  Coming  as  it  did  when  our 
sky  was  dark  with  clouds,  and  when  man's  help  had  been 
found  vain,  the  death  of  one  so  stedfast  threw  a  deep 
solemnity  over  many  of  us.  What  had  God  in  store  for 
us  ?  Was  it  evil  or  good  ?  Were  our  feet  to  be  set  in  a 
large  place,  or  were  we  to  be  broken  in  pieces?  'The 
thoughts  of  many  hearts  were  revealed'  by  that  sudden 
sorrow.  It  told  widely  and  efficaciously ;  it  threw  us  more 
upon  our  true  prop ;  it  braced  us  for  stormy  and  laborious 
days.  How  far  it  is  still  telling  on  the  Church  and  the 
ministry  we  do  not  seek  to  determine.  The  Church  is 
but  too  ready  to  forget  her  best. 

The  following  year  the  Memoir  of  Mr.  M'Cfeeyne  was 
published,  in  two  small  volumes,  by  Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace. 
A   copy  was  sent  from   the  author  to  Mr.  Milne;  and 

1  Alluding  to  the  Saturday  night  concert  for  prayer  among  a  few 
brethren,  of  whom  Mr.  M  'Cheyne  was  one. 

F 


82  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  following  is   the  letter  from  him  acknowledging  the 
gift  :— 

'  My  dear  Brother, — I  have  just  received  your  kind  gift, 
which  I  value,  as  showing  that  I  have  a  place  in  the  heart  of 
a  friend  of  Jesus.  I  think  I  feel  more  heart-joy  in  this  love 
than  in  thousands  of —  No,  there  is  no  comparison  ;  for 
such  things  cannot  be  weighed  with  balances  together.  How 
strange  it  seems  that  one  with  whom  we  were  so  intimate  is 
now  in  such  a  different  state  !  And  yet  it  seems  as  if  there 
could  not  be  much  change  upon  his  mind,  and  as  if,  when  we 
met  him,  he  would  be  just  the  same.  I  find  it  difficult  to 
think  of  Jesus  thus  ;  and  yet,  if  I  could,  I  think  I  should  be 
very  happy,  to  feel  that  He  would  just  say  to  us  the  very  words 
that  He  used  to  say  on  earth.  Shall  we  look  for  a  blessing  on 
Sabbath  ?  I  am  weary  and  worn  ;  but  His  grace  is  sufficient, 
if  we  could,  or  rather  would,  but  cast  ourselves  wholly,  un- 
doubtingly,  upon  it !  How  unkind  it  is  to  doubt  His  grace  ! 
I  am  sure  there  is  nothing  we  shall  one  day  blush  at  so  much 
as  our  doubting,  suspecting  faith  ;  it  is  almost  worse  than 
blind  unbelief.  I  was  struck  with  this  verse  to-day  when  I 
first  opened  my  Bible,  Acts  xxvii.  32 :  "  Then  the  soldiers  cut 
off  the  ropes  of  the  boat,  and  let  it  fall  off."  Oh  to  have 
nothing  but  the  ark  to  look  to  for  happiness  as  well  as  safety  ! 
But  weak  and  irresolute  is  man  :  yet  His  purposes  shall  stand, 
and  He  will  do  all  His  pleasure.  You  will  be  pleased  with 
the  appearance  of  the  volumes?  They  are  very  handsome, 
without  and  within.  I  am  not  sublimed  enough  to  disregard 
these  things.  I  am  going  to  begin  the  perusal,  and  trust  that, 
like  many  of  the  brethren,  I  shall  find  it  life  from  the  dead. 
Let  us  look  for  a  blessing,  in  consequence,  on  Sabbath.  I 
shall  expect  it,  and,  meanwhile,  am  yours  very  affectionately, 

'  J.  M.' 

After  the  Disruption,  matters  went  on  with  vigour,  though 
opposition  did  not  lessen.  Wide-spread  interest,  full 
churches,  a  fervent  ministry,  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 


THE  DISRUPTION.  83 


everywhere,  in  barns,  fields,  moors,  highways ;  large  and 
manifest  blessing  on  the  word  spoken ;  such  things  as 
these  marked  the  latter  half  of  1843.1 

Before  this,  and  while  still  in  the  Established  Church, 
we  were  in  some  respects  under  restraint.  The  'Moderate' 
clergy  did  not  invite  us  to  their  pulpits  ;  and  we  were 
hindered  from  preaching  in  the  villages  around  by  the 
law  of  '  use  and  wont,'  if  not  by  the  law  of  the  Church. 
Souls  in  earnest, — some  newly  awakened,  some  long  grop- 
ing their  way  to  light, — used  to  come  to  us  from  many  a 
parish ;   and  this  gave  offence.      We  were  warned  as  to 

1  Let  the  following  extract  from  the  private  journal  of  one  now 
with  the  Lord,  illustrate  one  of  the  scenes  of  that  bright  and  busy 
summer  : — '  Collace,  jfune  25^,  1843. — To-day  enjoyed  the  holy 
feast  of  Communion  in  our  tent ;  the  first  held  here  by  the  Free 
Church.  Oh,  it  seems  as  if  our  bands  were  loosed,  as  if  our  feet 
were  enlarged  to  run  the  way  of  God's  commandments.  It  has  been 
a  blessed  time.  The  cloud  seemed  hovering  over  the  tabernacle  and 
filling  it  with  glory.  There  was  a  sweet  stillness  in  the  air  around  ; 
all  hushed  in  Sabbath  rest,  nothing  to  annoy.  The  sun  shone  brightly 
over  our  heads,  and  a  soft  breeze  played  around  ;  and  sweetly  the 
notes  of  the  birds  sounded  as  they  seemed  to  blend  with  the  song  of 
praise  that  ascended  from  the  worshippers  within.  And  then  within 
there  was  so  much  of  quiet ;  not  a  footstep  could  be  heard  as  they 
moved  to  and  from  the  tables,  for  the  soft  and  tender  grass  was  all 
our  floor.  Nothing  was  heard  but  the  voice  of  the  man  of  God,  tell- 
ing us  of  a  Saviour's  love.  Sweet  day  !  Sweet  season  !  Too,  too 
soon  over.  Oh  for  the  feast  above  !  We  will  get  to  the  mountain 
of  myrrh,  and  look  for  the  daybreak,  when  the  shadows  shall  flee 
away.  Make  haste,  my  Beloved,  and  come.  O  my  Saviour,  prepare 
me  for  the  blessed  day!'  Not  only  our  Communion  Sabbaths,  but 
our  Communion  Mondays  were  memorable  days.  The  Monday  even- 
ings were  times  of  remarkable  blessing  ;  and  with  these  evenings  a 
sacredness  has  been  associated,  which  will  not  soon  be  broken. 


84  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  peril  of  transgressing  parish  boundaries,  either  in  visit- 
ing or  preaching.  The  people  could  not,  of  course,  be 
prevented  from  coming  to  us  ;  but  we  could  be  prevented, 
by  ecclesiastical  censure,  from  receiving  them,  at  least  as 
members,  if  not  as  hearers.  Matters  were  becoming  more 
irksome  every  week,  both  for  minister  and  people.  Some 
of  us  would  soon  have  been  embroiled  with  our  brethren, 
and  the  courts  of  the  Church.  We  could  not  help  our- 
selves. God  was  awakening  human  souls.  These  awak- 
ened ones  would  not  and  could  not  remain  under  lifeless 
pastors.  They  would  go  where  they  would  be  fed.  The 
question  was  becoming  serious  for  many  of  us. 

The  severance  came,  and  the  difficulty  was  at  an  end. 
They  who  had  denied  us  their  pulpits,  could  not  now 
shut  us  out  of  their  parishes.  They  who,  when  we  were 
co-presbyters,  threatened  us,  could  no  longer  trouble  us. 
The  event,  which  they  had  made  inevitable,  and  by  which 
they  had  hoped  to  crush  us,  placed  us  at  once  beyond 
their  reach.  Interdicts  were  now  out  of  the  question. 
They  had,  unwittingly,  let  loose  the  very  evangelists  whom 
they  had  been  labouring  to  restrain.  We  went  abroad 
over  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  preaching  the 
everlasting  gospel,  not  slow  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  many 
open  doors  which  on  every  hand  invited  us  to  enter. 

That  summer  and  winter  were  busy  months  in  Scot- 
land. The  labour  was  great,  but  the  interest  was  greater, 
and  the  success  was  manifest.  No  one  of  us  has  ever 
grudged  the  cost,  or  the  weariness,  or  the  self-denial  of 
that  never-to-be-forgotten  time. 

Mr.  Milne  was  a  most  energetic  worker,  in  season  and 


E VANGELISTIC  LABOURS.  85 

out  of  season.  Perth  itself  and  the  villages  around  were 
the  special  scenes  of  his  labour.  He  spared  no  toil.  He 
delighted  to  preach  the  gospel  among  the  rural  popula- 
tion of  the  district ;  and  his  brethren  were  glad  to  have 
his  help,  though  it  was  often  the  help  of  an  over-wrought 
worker.  Sometimes  he  walked,  on  his  preaching  expedi- 
tions, and  the  distances  which  he  accomplished  were 
great.  Sometimes  he  rode,  or  drove ;  and  he  was  not 
always  considerate  toward  the  beast  he  made  use  of,  as  he 
was  a  fearless  rider,  and  rather  a  reckless  driver.  Yet 
he  was  more  merciful  to  the  animal  than  to  himself.  One 
stormy  Saturday  he  had  set  out  for  Auchterarder,  to 
assist  his  friend  Mr.  Smeaton  at  his  Communion  on  the 
Sabbath.  Such  was  the  snow  that  the  mail-gig  was 
stopped.  Mr.  Milne  tried  a  horse,  but  it  could  not 
proceed.  He  did  not  hesitate ;  but  set  out  in  the  deep 
snow  on  foot,  and  after  hours  of  wading  and  struggling 
he  reached  the  village,  some  thirteen  miles  off. 

It  was  perhaps  the  remembrance  of  this  that  in  after  days 
made  him  write  as  follows, — when,  having  missed  the  train 
to  Anstruther,  to  which  he  was  proceeding,  he  had  to  go  on 
to  Dysart : — '  I  am  pretty  well,  not  very  robust ;  and  it  is 
perhaps  as  well  that  I  have  not  a  meeting  on  my  hands  after 
the  journey.  I  always  think  now  that  all  is  for  the  best, 
whereas,  long  long  ago,  I  should  certainly  have  set  out  and 
walked  the  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  from  this  to  Anstruther.' 

On  one  of  these  same  snowy  winter  nights  he  preached 
at  Newtyle,  a  small  village  some  eighteen  miles  eastward 
of  Perth,  where  Mr.  M'Cheyne  had  often  preached.  The 
meeting  was  late ;  it  was  very  deep  snow ;  the  night  was 


86  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

dark ;  but  he  was  bent  on  returning  home  immediately.  He 
set  out  on  horseback,  in  spite  of  remonstrances,  and  pressed 
on.  The  road  was  quite  obliterated  by  the  drift,  and  he 
proceeded  sometimes  in  fields,  sometimes  in  ditches,  some- 
times on  the  tops  of  walls,  and  sometimes  on  the  road 
itself,  endangering  both  man  and  beast ;  reaching  Perth 
between  three  and  four  in  the  morning,  utterly  exhausted. 
In  our  after  talks  about  this  imprudent  exploit  he  did  not 
defend  himself;  but  said  that  he  was  very  anxious  to  be 
home  that  night. 

There  was  never  found  a  lion  in  his  way,  when  he  had 
to  go  out  to  visit  a  sick  member,  or  preach  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  or  minister  comfort  to  the  bereaved. 

To  some  the  Disruption  was  a  sacrifice ;  to  others  it  was 
simply  a  deliverance.  It  was  more  of  the  latter  than  of 
the  former  to  Mr.  Milne.  Yet  those  to  whom  it  was  a 
sacrifice, — and  to  not  a  few  it  was  so, — were  the  last  to 
speak  of  it  as  such.  They  bore  poverty  and  hardship 
without  a  murmur.  It  would  have  been  better  for  us  had 
we,  as  a  Church,  forborne  some  subsequent  boasts,  and 
allowed  our  doings  and  success  to  speak  for  themselves. 

The  tide  of  blessing  which,  from  1837,  had  been  flowing 
without  intermission,  had  not  yet  begun  to  ebb.  Many 
were  daily  added  to  our  living  membership.  The  Church's 
true  work  went  on  happily  in  parts  where  it  had  already 
commenced;  and  it  began  in  many  places  to  which  it  had 
not  yet  reached.  We  look  back  on  these  months  with 
thankful  joy.  Gladly  should  we  live  them  over  again,  with 
all  their  tear  and  wear  of  body  and  mind,  had  we  but  our 
former  strength,  and  the  hope  of  like  success.     No  one 


DISK  UPTION-DA  VS.  8  7 


who  passed  through  them  would  wish  either  to  forget  or 
under-estimate  the  privilege  of  having  been  one  of  the 
'  labourers '  in  the  reaping  of  that  blessed  harvest. 

It  would  serve  no  good  purpose  to  recall  the  strifes  of 
that  post-disruption  time.  In  these  Mr.  Milne  was  but 
little  involved,  though  none  could  be  more  resolute  in 
maintaining  the  principles  of  the  Free  Church.  When  I 
say  that  he  was  a  thorough  Free  Churchman,  and  not  a 
mere  separatist  for  the  sake  of  company,  or  consistency,  or 
political  liberty,  I  am  simply  stating  what  all  who  were 
acquainted  with  him  knew.  His  name  stands  among  the 
subscribers  of  the  '  deed  of  demission;'  and  no  one  signed 
it  more  heartily  or  more  intelligently  than  he.  In  his 
Indian  diary,  of  date  Dec.  2,  1854,  this  sentence  occurs  : 
'  Sin  produces  sin,  and  error,  error.  Thus  the  Erastianism 
of  Establishments  has  produced  the  Voluntaryism  of  our 
days.     Happy  they  who  keep  the  right  and  middle  path.' 

He  was  preaching  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  in  the  open 
air,  about  this  time,  and  a  rumour  went  out  that  in  his 
sermon  he  had  attacked  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch,  whose 
refusal  of  sites  for  churches  had  produced  great  bitterness 
of  feeling,  especially  on  the  borders.  His  text  was  '  Ac- 
quaint thyself  with  Him,  and  be  at  peace ; '  and  it  was  not 
likely  that  such  a  text  could  have  been  perverted  by  such 
a  man  for  such  a  purpose.  Before  I  had  time  to  get  an 
explanation  from  him  of  what  had  raised  the  report,  we 
met  at  Newcastle  on  an  evangelistic  expedition,  during 
which  we  held  meetings  in  the  streets  and  market-place.1 

1  We  were  together  for  some  time  during  this  excursion.  New- 
castle was  our  centre  ;  but  we  endeavoured  to  find  our  way  into  all 


SS  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

The  first  text  I  heard  him  give  out  was  the  above ;  and 
he  had  scarcely  begun,  when,  in  order  to  show  what  ac- 
quaintanceship was,  he  introduced  a  well-known  name,  to 
illustrate  the  difference  between  knowing  about  a  person, 
and  knowing  a  person.  On  the  border  wayside  he  had 
named  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch ;  in  Newcastle  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  ;  in  neither  case  with  the  slightest  disrespect. 
The  origin  of  the  rumour  became  obvious ;  ignorance  and 
malice  had  helped  to  set  it  agoing.  He  did  not  trouble 
himself  to  contradict  it,  and  it  soon  died  away. 

Strongly  as  he  felt  during  the  Disruption  controversy, 
he  did  not  give  way  to  sharp  words.  There  was,  in  his 
strongest  statements,  a  tone  of  kindliness,  and  an  absence 
of '  personality,'  which  tended  to  keep  down  angry  feeling. 
He  sought  to  give  no  needless  offence.  Yet  he  loved  the 
Free  Church,  and  knew  why  he  loved  it. 

Between  Mr.  Milne  and  Mr.  M'Cheyne  there  were 
points  of  likeness,  yet  of  great  unlikeness  also.  In  ap- 
pearance they  were  dissimilar.  Both,  indeed,  were  short- 
sighted, and  generally  wore  spectacles  ;  they  both  walked 
nimbly  and  erectly,  moving  with  an  agility  that  spoke  of 

the  neighbouring  towns.  One  day  he  had  gone  down  the  line  to 
make  some  arrangements  as  to  preaching ;  and  on  coming  up  in  the 
evening,  he  told  me  that,  as  he  was  walking  about,  near  some  station, 
he  saw  a  large  fine  school.  He  went  in  and  saw  the  working  of  it. 
Before  coming  away  he  asked  leave  to  speak  to  the  children.  The 
teacher  allowed  him,  and  he  gave  them  a  full  message  concerning  the 
way  of  life,  closing  with  the  well-known  story  of  the  Highland  kitchen- 
maid  and  her  two  prayers  :  '  Lord,  show  me  myself;'  '  Lord,  show 
me  Thyself. '  After  coming  out  he  made  inquiry  about  the  building, 
and  found  it  was  into  a  High-Church  school  that  he  had  intruded  his 
gospel  message. 


MR.  M'CHEYNE  AND  MR.  MILNE.  89 

inward  joy ; !  but  the  former  was  dark,  the  latter  rather 
fair ;  the  former  was  under  the  middle  size,  the  latter  con- 
siderably above  it,2  which  gave  him  a  commanding  appear- 
ance, especially  on  one  occasion,  when  not  thinking  himself 
high  enough  to  overlook  the  audience,  he  mounted  the 
stool  which  the  minister  used  for  kneeling,  and  on  this 
elevation  poured  out  one  of  his  most  energetic  sermons  to 
a  congregation  of  some  1200  people.  Both  had  a  pleasant 
smile ;  but  there  was  more  of  severity  about  the  latter  than 
the  former,  though  the  laughter  of  Mr.  M'Cheyne  was 
louder  and  more  ringing  than  that  of  Mr.  Milne.  In  both 
there  was  great  plainness  of  speech,  and  indifference  as 
to  polish  and  ornament.  Illustrations  were  to  them  not 
flowers  for  the  fancy,  but  arrows  for  the  conscience.  In 
both  there  was  an  unearthly  elevation  of  spirit,  alike  in 
prayer  and  preaching,  which  lifted  up  the  hearer  uncon- 
sciously along  with  the  speaker.  In  both  there  was  deep 
solemnity  of  voice,  though  in  Mr.  Milne  there  was  more 
of  the  natural, — we  might  almost  say  the  conversational, — 
tone  than  in  Mr.  M'Cheyne.  Both  were  vehement  in  de- 
nouncing sin,  the  latter  never  pausing  to  smooth  down  his 
words,  as  if  afraid  of  calling  things  by  too  strong  names ; 8 
'I  remember  Robert  M'Cheyne  coming  in  one  morning  to  a  pri- 
vate prophetical  reading  which  some  of  us  had,  before  he  went  to 
Dundee,  and  saying,  '  I  felt  so  happy  this  morning  that  I  could  not 
refrain  from  skipping  as  I  came  along.'  Like  Philip  Saphir  of  Pestb, 
he  could  say  with  gladness,  '  I  have  got  a  religion  for  my  whole  man. ' 

2  '  Proceritas  corporis,  decora  fades,  demissus  capillus  ;  quae  licet 
fortuita  et  inania  putentur,  illi  tamen  plurimum  venerationis  acquirunt. ' 
— Pliny,  Ep. 

3  Mr.  M'Cheyne's  letter  to  the  chairman  of  the  Edinburgh  and  Glas- 
gow Railway,  on  the  Sabbath -breaking  trains,  then  first  run,  is  very 


9o  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  former  uttering  the  same  denunciations  more  courte- 
ously, and  with  less  liability  to  be  misunderstood  or  to  call 
up  opposition.  Both  of  them  were,  at  first,  long  preachers  ; 
both,  like  our  Reformers,  used  homely  illustrations ;  both 
spoke  without  manuscript  or  note  before  them,  easily  and 
plainly,  right  into  their  people's  eyes ;  both  thoroughly 
believed  the  creed  which  they  had  subscribed ;  and  both 
preached  the  good  news  concerning  the  work  finished  on 
the  cross  in  all  their  unconditional  freeness.  No  man  ever 
mistook  their  calling,  or  supposed  them  to  be  anything 
but  ambassadors  for  Christ  In  public  and  in  private  they 
were  felt  to  be  men  of  God,  on  the  watch  for  souls. 

Mr.  Milne  kept  back  nothing  from  his  people,  but  spoke 
freely  and  boldly  of  all  current  events  and  controversies. 
He  was  one  of  the  few  who  could,  without  awkwardness 
or  difficulty,  introduce  any  subject  into  the  pulpit,  either  in 
prayer  or  discourse.  The  little  things  of  the  day,  as  well 
as  the  great  things,  were  all  woven  into  his  ministrations 
from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  in  a  way  which  made  one  some- 
times wonder,  sometimes  admire,  and  sometimes  smile. 
You  required  to  be  rather  careful  what  you  told  him  before 
he  went  into  the  pulpit ;  for  you  were  quite  sure  that  the 
event  or  topic  mentioned  would  find  its  way  into  some  part 
of  the  sendee,  and  your  name  along  with  it 

His  first  morning  prayer  in  church  was  always  very  re- 
markable for  the  minute  fulness  with  which  it  entered  into 
the  various  cases  that  had  come  before  him  ;  it  might  be 

strong  in  its  language,  and  shows  the  intensity  of  feeling  under  which 
he  was  writing.  Yet  he  aimed  not  at  men,  but  at  their  sins.  '  Inseo 
tatur  vitia  non  homines  ;  nee  castigat  errantes,  sed  emendat.' — Pliny. 


MR.  MILNE  AS  A  MINISTER  OF  CHRIST.  91 

sickness,  or  pain,  or  losses,  or  bereavements,  or  anxieties, 
or  spiritual  trouble ;  every  one  was  specially  indicated 
and  prayed  for.  This  was  one  of  the  tenderest  and  closest 
of  his  pastoral  bonds ;  for  thus,  while  his  affections  were 
flowing  out  towards  his  flock,  theirs  were  drawn  towards 
each  other.  In  many  other  ways  did  his  ready  sym- 
pathies get  vent  to  themselves,  far  beyond  his  own 
people.  Wherever  he  heard  of  sorrow,  thither  a  note 
from  him  found  its  way,  or  a  call  was  made ;  and  if  the 
parties  could  not  be  seen,  his  card  was  sent  in  with  John 
xiv.  1,  or  some  such  text,  pencilled  on  it,  and  'love  and 
sympathy'  written  above  or  below  his  name.  A  friend  was 
setting  off  by  rail  to  the  Edinburgh  dentist ;  the  station- 
master  was  sent  to  him  with  Mr.  Milne's  card  and  a 
British  Messenger,  this  being  added  in  pencil,  '  May  your 
dental  Bezaleel  get  unusual  help.     Yours  ever, — J.  M.' 

But  these  characteristics,  though  now  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  this  period  of  his  ministry,  marked  the  whole 
of  it  down  to  its  close.  At  no  time  did  he  seem  to  feel 
the  slightest  difficulty  in  referring  to  all  the  movements 
or  events  around.  Yet  all  was  solemn ;  all  was  genial  and 
kindly. 

He  never  meddled  with  politics,  though  he  formed  his 
judgment  on  all  passing  events.  I  dare  say  he  would  have 
supported  a  Christian  man  in  a  parliamentary  election  if 
needful ;  for  he  did  not  think,  with  some  in  our  day,  that 
none  but  unconverted  men  should  have  anything  to  do 
with  the  affairs  of  the  State.  But  certainly  he  stood  aloof 
from  political  partisanship,  as  secularizing  and  deteriorat- 
ing ;  though  he  would,  I  doubt  not,  have  admitted  the 


92  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

vast  difference  between  a  political  Christian  and  a  Chris- 
tian politician.  His  private  and  conversational  remarks 
on  men  and  things  showed  that  he  had  not  shut  his  eyes 
to  public  occurrences,  and  that  he  found,  in  his  daily- 
newspaper,  materials  for  thought  as  well  as  subjects  for 
thanksgiving  and  prayer.  '  Even  when  he  read  literature 
and  the  news  of  the  day,  he  forthwith  sought  to  turn  all  to . 
use  in  some  department  of  his  ministry,  or  some  form  of 
personal  edification.' 1 

He  had  far  more  shrewdness  and  insight  into  character 
than  many,  judging  by  his  kindly  simplicity,  gave  him  credit 
for.  He  was  a  most  unsuspicious  man  ;  and  yet  with  dis- 
cerning eye.  He  might  not  be  the  best  at  giving  counsel 
in  an  emergency;  but  even  then,  as  well  as  at  other  times, 
his  fruitful  active  mind  would  suggest  thoughts,  or  bring  up 
a  text,  out  of  which  you  could  extract  the  advice  needed. 
At  times  hasty  in  his  conclusions,  and  not  seldom  impulsive 
in  his  plans,  he  would  accept  or  reject  a  friend's  arguments 
too  readily,  as  if  he  were  irresolute,  when  he  was  not  really 
so.  A  peacemaker  everywhere,  he  had  his  own  ways  of 
making  peace ;  sometimes  he  would  take  hold  of  the  hands 
of  the  parties  and  put  them  into  each  other ;  and  some- 
times, as  in  meetings  of  session  or  meetings  for  consulta- 
tion, when  any  heat  threatened  to  arise,  he  would  stop  and 
say,  let  us  sing  the  133d  Psalm:  '  Behold  how  good  a  thing 
it  is,'  etc.  He  belonged  to  that  '  candid  school'  which 
'hopeth  all  things'  (1  Cor.  xiii.  7),  but  not  to  that  whose 
charity  consists  in  palliating  evil,  or  pleading  for  error,  or 
excusing  departures  from  the  faith.  If  any  one  showed 
1  Mr.  Bonar's  funeral  sermon. 


OVERCOMING  EVIL  WITH  GOOD.  93 

him  any  slight,  or  injured  him,  he  made  it  a  matter  of 
conscience  to  show  special  kindness  to  the  injurer.  Not 
as  if  he  did  not  feel  the  unkindness,  for  he  was  acutely 
sensitive,  but  as  if  bent  on  overcoming  evil  with  good,  and 
on  refusing  to  be  affronted  in  any  effort  for  the  welfare  of 
a  soul.  As  he  and  I  were  walking  together  one  day,  we 
passed  a  gentleman,  who  bowed.  Detaching  himself  from 
me,  Mr.  Milne  went  after  him  and  talked  kindly  to  him. 
Rejoining  me,  he  said,  'That  man  does  not  like  me,  and 
frequently  shows  this,  but  I  must  win  him  over.'  He  fre- 
quently bought  articles  in  a  shop  where  the  master  was 
surly.  He  knew  that,  durum  fiatientia  mollit.  He  was 
asked,  '  Why  do  you  go  back  to  a  shop  when  your  custom 
is  not  desired  ? '  *  I  do  it  on  purpose,'  he  said ;  '  I  am 
trying  to  soften  that  man  by  kindness.  He  would  scarcely 
speak  to  me  at  first ;  but  I'm  getting  round  him,  and  hope 
to  come  to  close  quarters  some  day.' 


CHAPTER  VII. 

VARIOUS  YEARS. 
TIMES  OF  WAITING  UPON  GOD. 

FOR  several  years  a  few  brethren  in  different  parts  of 
the  country  had  been  in  the  habit  of  observing 
some  day  in  each  month  (generally,  though  not  always, 
the  first  Monday),  as  a  day  of  special  private  prayer,  that 
they  might  seek  help  and  wisdom  in  '  taking  heed  to  them- 
selves and  to  their  ministry.'  The  practice  was  suggested 
and  begun  by  Robert  M'Cheyne  ;  and  each  of  us  in  turn 
wrote  the  monthly  letter,  reminding  the  brethren  of  the 
day,  and  noting  thoughts  and  subjects  that  might  seem 
particularly  suitable.  It  was  a  happy  bond ;  very  pleasant 
to  look  back  on,  though  many  links  are  now  broken,  and 
nearly  one  half  of  the  original  members  have  left  us  to  be 
with  the  Lord.     A  few  of  these  letters  may  be  given. 

The  following  is  Mr.  Milne's  circular,  of  date  February 
29,  1844:— 

'  My  dear  Andrew, — I  have  been  requested  by  Mr.  Smeaton 
to  write  the  circular  for  this  month,  putting  the  brethren  in  re- 
membrance of  our  special  season  of  prayer  and  fasting,  on 
Tuesday  the  5th  of  March.     It  is  said,  "When  the  poor  and 


TIMES  OF  WAITING  UPON  GOD.  95 

needy  seek  water,  and  their  tongue  faileth  for  thirst,  I  the  Lord 
will  hear,  I  the  God  of  Jacob  will  not  forsake  them."  I  do  not 
think  we  have  yet  been  brought  to  this.  Let  us  therefore  next 
Tuesday  meditate  on  the  terribleness  of  a  barren  ministry,  till 
our  hearts  are  wrung  and  broken.  See  how  Jeremiah  speaks 
(Lam.  iii.  49)  of  his  feelings  during  the  withdrawal  of  God's 
power  and  favour.  '  Mine  eye  trickleth  down  and  ceaseth  not.' 
And  again,  '  Mine  eye  affecteth  mine  heart.'  Oh,  is  it  not 
affecting  to  see  the  people  flocking  to  ordinances,  and  waiting 
so  earnestly  on  the  word,  and  yet  so  little  of  the  power  being 
present  to  heal  them  !  I  think  I  feel  it  beginning  to  humble 
me.  The  apostles  gave  themselves  to  prayer,  and  to  the 
ministry  of  the  word,  and  that  continually.  Is  it  so  with  us? 
Let  us  examine  if  there  is  anything  wanting  in  our  prayers  for 
the  blessing.  Are  we  frequent,  constant,  fervent,  importunate, 
special,  believing,  humble  in  prayer  ?  Is  there  anything  defec- 
tive in  our  ministry  of  the  word  ?  Do  we  seek  the  conversion 
of  souls  ?  Do  we  seek  messages  from  God  ?  Do  we  speak 
with  authority,  in  the  name  and  through  the  power  of  God  ? 
Do  we  set  forth  tremblingly,  yet  affectionately,  the  awful  condi- 
tion of  unbelieving,  unregenerate  men?  Do  we  in  Christ's  stead 
beseech  them,  "  Be  ye  reconciled  to  God  ?"  Excuse  me,  dear 
brother.  I  trust  this  will  reach  you  before  Tuesday,  and  I 
shall  rejoice  to  think  we  are  bowing  the  knee  before  the  same 
throne,  though  far  separate.  Write  me  a  word  or  two,  that  I 
may  tell  our  people  next  Thursday.  I  went  out  to  Collace  on 
the  Wednesday ;  but,  walking  out,  was  tired,  and  I  fear  had 
little  life  in  speaking.  On  Thursday  I  rode  over  to  Newtyle, 
walking  the  pony  all  the  way,  and  sometimes  walking  with  it. 
I  hope  there  might  be  some  good  done.  I  saw  manifest  tokens 
of  the  Lord  having  been  there.  I  was  at  Auchterarder  on 
Sabbath.  We  had  a  refreshing  season.  I  had  to  walk  on 
Saturday  all  the  way,  it  being  impossible  for  horse  or  vehicle 
to  go,  from  the  depth  of  the  snow.  I  felt  it  good  to  be  toiling 
through.  Write  me.  William  Burns  is  gone  to  Kilsyth.  Grace 
and  peace  be  with  you.' 


9  6  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Of  the  same  date,  and  for  the  same  purpose,  we  have 
another  letter,  addressed  to  Mr.  Somerville.  I  give  it, 
partly  to  show  the  great  fertility  and  versatility  of  the 
writer.  Most  of  us,  in  writing  these  monthly  circulars,  used 
to  send  the  same  letter  to  each  of  the  brethren.  But  Mr. 
Milne  seems  to  have  written  a  different  one  to  each.  He 
was  very  ready  with  his  pen  in  such  things ;  and  his  heart 
was  full. 

1  My  dear  Brother, — I  have  been  asked  to  send  the  cir- 
cular for  this  month,  to  put  the  brethren  in  remembrance  of 
our  special  season  for  prayer  and  fasting,  on  Tuesday  next, 
5th  March.  I  am  satisfied  that  some  such  exercise  is  season- 
able at  present,  and  must  be  profitable.  What  is  the  cause 
of  this  almost  universal  and  protracted  withdrawal  of  divine 
power  from  our  ministrations  ?  "  The  Lord's  hand  is  not 
shortened."  Where  does  the  sin,  that  grieves  and  lets,  lie  ? 
Is  it  in  the  people,  or  is  it  in  us  ?  The  people  wait  continually 
on  ordinances,  and  listen  heedfully  to  the  word ;  and  it  is 
affecting  to  think  that,  when  they  so  willingly  receive  the  word, 
there  should  be  so  little  grace  and  power  present  to  bless  them. 
Let  us  begin  at  the  sanctuary.  The  apostles,  at  the  time  of 
their  success,  gave  themselves  to  prayer  and  to  the  ministry  of 
the  word. 

'  Is  it  so  with  us  ?  Is  there  anything  wanting  in  our  prayers 
for  the  blessing  ?  Are  we  frequent,  constant,  special,  fervent, 
believing  in  prayer  ?  Do  we  honour  the  work  of  Jesus  by  the 
largeness  and  confidence  of  our  requests  ?  Is  there  anything 
faulty  in  our  ministry  ?  Is  the  matter  the  whole  counsel  of 
God  ?  Is  it  gotten  by  prayer,  and  followed  by  prayer  ?  Is  the 
manner  that  of  ambassadors  of  God,  standing  in  the  stead  of 
Christ  ?  Are  we  aiming  at  the  conversion  of  souls,  and  do  we 
tremble  at  the  thought  of  a  barren  ministry  ? 

'  The  best  symptom  I  see  at  present  is,  that  some  are  begin- 
ning to  feel  and  lay  to  heart  our  deserted  condition.     May  this 


LOOKING  UPWARD.  97 


feeling  grow  and  deepen,  till  our  hearts  are  wrung  and  broken. 
What  are  we  if  our  Master  is  not  with  us  ?  The  godly  will 
mourn,  and  the  wretched  will  contemn.  What  are  ordinances, 
if  the  Lord  is  not  there  ?  Dry  breasts,  empty  ceremonies. 
Let  us  stir  one  another  up  faithfully  and  affectionately  to 
wrestle  for  the  blessing.  I  have  been  a  different  man  since  I 
was  with  you.  The  people  seem  to  have  been  quite  aware  of 
it  the  first  Sabbath  after  my  return.  I  got,  somehow,  a  new 
view  of  the  free  grace  of  God.  In  our  backslidings,  as  well 
as  at  our  conversion,  the  first  movement  is  on  His  side.  You 
brought  this  out  in  the  end  of  your  action  sermon.  I  have  had 
more  satisfaction  in  my  ministry  since  then  than  I  had  had 
for  months  before.  I  have  been  eight  days  in  the  country, 
preaching  round  ;  being  able  to  get  away,  from  Wm.  Burns 
being  with  me.  I  think  things  are  looking  more  hopeful.  There 
is  an  evident  work  of  God  at  a  small  village,  Newtyle,  if 
curious  people  do  not  mar  it  by  blazing  it  abroad.' 

It  may  be  well  to  give  here  one  or  two  more  of  these 
reminding  circulars  from  other  brethren.  They  may 
quicken  to  faith,  and  prayer,  and  zeal.  They  may  suggest 
similar  unions,  or  prayer-circles,  among  those  who  have 
not  yet  tried  them.  We  do  need  some  such  divine 
stimulant  now;  something  that  will  bring  us  into  closer 
connection  with  the  great  Fountain  of  all  power  and  bless- 
ing ;  something  that  will  enrich  our  poverty  and  replenish 
our  emptiness.  For  certainly  it  is  not  eloquence,  nor 
argument,  nor  vehemence,  nor  '  fresh  thought,'  nor  the 
enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom  that  we  need  for  the  revivi- 
fication of  our  ministry ;  but  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Here  is  Professor  Smeaton's  circular  : — 

'My  dear  Brother,— As  subjects  to  spread  before  the 
Lord,  the  approaching  Assembly  suggests  itself,  together  with 

G 


98  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


the  removal  of  some  of  our  most  honoured  witnesses  ;  another 
call,  surely,  from  the  Lord  of  Hosts  to  "  weeping  and  to  mourn- 
ing "  (Isa.  xxii.  12).  But  without  assuming  the  office  of  address- 
ing you  in  my  own  words,  though  the  occasion  of  your  permis- 
sion might  supply  the  warrant,  it  gives  me  more  pleasure  to 
quote  a  sentence  or  two  from  the  recently  published  memoir 
of  our  late  holy  missionary,  Mr.  M'Donald  :  "lam  every  year 
feeling  myself  to  be  a  less  important  and  more  insignificant 
being  in  God's  world,  in  Christ's  Church,  in  man's  affairs." 
"  Down,  down ;  bring  me  down,  O  God."  "  My  desire  is  to 
be  breathed  upon  and  quickened  by  the  Spirit  from  on  high, 
that,  being  delivered  from  animal  excitement,  fleshly  confi- 
dence, and  spiritual  pride,  I  may  devote  myself,  in  heart  and 
soul,  to  my  Lord  Himself  in  my  work.  It  is  only  of  late  that 
my  eyes  have  been  opened  on  what  has  made  my  knees  feeble 
and  my  hands  to  hang  down,  even  the  lack  of  the  Spirit's 
power  within  me."  "  It  seems  to  me  that,  in  a  country  where  you 
have  all  so  large  a  field  of  concert  and  co-operation  as  in  Scot- 
land, you  ought  all  to  agree  to  devote  a  month  or  two,  in  com- 
mon concert  of  all  ministers,  to  preach  entirely  on  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  its  essential  relations  to  the  Church,  and 
the  salvation  of  sinners.  The  subject  is  not  sufficiently  taught 
nor  understood,  save  by  a  few  men  in  a  few  places  ;  and  who 
can  tell  what  good  might  come,  when  the  blessed  Agent  is  thus 
glorified,  and  the  multitude  of  minds  thus  set  in  order  and  pre- 
pared for  His  return  ?  For  my  part,  my  only  comfort  in  my 
Indian  work  is  the  thought  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  I  wish  I 
could  infect  every  mind  around  me  with  my  feelings  on  that 
subject" ' 

Here  is  another,  dated  '  Collace,  Feb.  26,  1849:' — 

'  My  dear  Brother, — Might  I  suggest  for  special  medita- 
tion, in  order  to  put  an  edge  on  our  spirit  on  Saturday,  that 
passage  in  Lam.  iii.  48-51,  and,  indeed)  Jeremiah's  charac- 
ter in  general?  Let  us  ask  from  Him  who  wept  over  Jeru- 
salem, and  of  whom  the  people  said,  "  He  is  Jeremiah,"  such  a 


PR  A  YER  FOR  THE  DEAD.  99 

really  tender,  pitiful,  and  compassionate  frame  of  soul ;  nay, 
habit  of  soul.  Yet,  after  all,  this  is  but  one  of  a  thousand 
wants.  Dear  brother,  remember  our  account,  Heb.  xiii.  17. 
Remember  also  our  crown,  I  Pet.  v.  4.  But,  besides  all  that 
concerns  us  personally,  remember  souls,  perishing  souls.  Who 
is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?  But  let  us  call  on  the  Lord  with 
one  accord,  and  think  on  Jer.  xxxiii.  3.' 

Here  is  another  from  the  Rev.  J.  Y.  Walker  of  Perth, 
that  honoured  servant  of  Christ,  whose  name  has  been, 
with  not  a  few  of  us,  associated  with  quiet  zeal,  sound 
doctrine,  and  prayerful  devotedness  to  the  Master  and  the 
Master's  work  for  many  a  year.  It  is  addressed  to  Mr. 
Milne,  and  has  a  singular  title,  '  Prayer  for  the  dead ; ' 
and  thus  proceeds  : — 

'Perth,  1st  Oct.  1849. — Dear  Brother, — Are  we  buckling 
on  the  armour  of  God  for  this  gloomy  day?  For  it  is  a 
gloomy  day ;  such  a  day  as  we  have  not  yet  had.  The  pro- 
phet's complaint  may  well  be  ours,  "  Lord,  who  hath  believed 
our  report  ?"  But,  dear  brother,  why  is  it  thus  with  us  ?  Let 
there  be  heart-searching  here.  There  is  ever  a  cause.  See 
Hosea  v.  15.  What  may  the  offence  be?  The  Lord  give  us 
light  to  discern  it,  and  grace  to  acknowledge  it !  I  need  not 
say,  as  I  have  been  saying  to  the  other  brethren,  "  Remember 
us  in  Perth."  Are  we  not  in  the  very  midst  of  death  ?  But 
that  is  a  small  matter.  The  dead  are  dying, — dying  to  die. 
Oh  for  bowels  of  compassion  here  !  I  fear  we  seldom  realize 
what  it  is  to  pray  for  the  dead  of  our  congregation,  and  to 
pray  for  them  as  dead.  We  feel  we  can  pray  for  them  when 
there  is  some  little  life  among  them.  But  when  there  is  no 
life,  as  it  seems  to  be  at  present,  to  pray  for  them  then,  that  is 
gospel-like.  It  is  a  praying  in  faith,  apart  from  all  fleshly  feel- 
ings. Would  there  were  more  such  prayer  !  It  would  be  life 
from  the  dead  among  all  our  congregations.  We  look  for  life, 
and  complain  that  there  is  none.     Well ;    but  are  we  really 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


praying  for  our  people  as  having  no  life  ?  In  praying  for  the 
dead,  we  have  much  need  to  be  always  crying,  "  Lord,  in- 
crease our  faith."  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  pray  for  the  dead  of 
our  congregations.  There  are  mountains  of  unbelief  to  be 
bounded  over ;  and  how  ?  The  Lord  help  us  to  this  thing  as 
He  helped  the  blessed  Ezekiel  in  the  valley  of  dry  bones. 
Ponder  this  well ;  and  may  the  Lord  the  Spirit,  the  alone 
Ouickener  of  dead  souls,  be  with  your  spirit  and  mine,  that  we 
may,  all  of  us,  be  enabled  on  Wednesday  to  pray  for  the  dead, 
as  we  have  never  yet  done.' 

We  surely  do  not  err  in  ascribing  much  of  the  blessing 
of  these  years  to  the  many  '  concerts  for  prayer '  of  various 
kinds,  public  and  private,  composed  of  lesser  or  larger 
circles,  which  then  existed.  The  streams  that  turn  the 
great  mill-wheels  of  our  manufactories  have  their  sources 
in  the  far-up,  quiet  glens  of  our  land ;  and  so  the  great 
motive-power  of  these  times  was  to  be  found  in  the  closet 
or  the  prayer-meeting  hall,  to  which  faith,  not '  lifting  up 
its  voice  in  the  street,'  retired  as  into  its  stronghold,  there 
to  set  in  motion  the  divine  machinery  by  which  the  real 
good  was  done  in  the  earth. 

There  was  in  this  something  quite  different  from  mere 
work.  The  work  was  the  pipe,  but  the  pipe  could  not 
fill  itself.  The  best  laid  system  of  pipes  could  not  create 
the  water.  That  must  come  from  another  quarter.  The 
men  were  but  the  wires,  the  electricity  must  come  from 
heaven ;  and,  without  it,  the  most  complete  array  of  wires 
was  useless. 

In  the  constant  and  combined  prayer  then  made,  there 
was  the  recognition  of  a  motive-power  beyond  all  human 
agency ;  something  supernatural,  without  which  the  most 


THE  SUPERHUMAN. 


compact  organizations  were  useless.  Confidence  in  this 
invisible  strength  is  the  secret  of  power  to  the  worker ;  and 
when  this  confidence  in  the  invisible  is  supplanted  by  con- 
fidence in  the  visible,  then  effort  becomes  a  failure ;  the 
machine  keeps  going,  but  without  producing  any  results 
beyond  motion  and  noise. 

When  brought  face  to  face  with  human  evil,  we  feel  our 
helplessness.  It  is  too  great  for  us.  Outward  remedies  do 
not  reach  the  seat  of  the  disease.  Laws  restrain  it ;  walls 
hide  it;  prisons  silence  it;  civilisation  refines  it;  educa- 
tion teaches  it  to  keep  within  bounds.  But  there  it  is, 
notwithstanding  all  these  appliances ;  its  real  nature  un- 
touched by  either  magistrate  or  minister.  We  are  helpless 
before  the  evil  of  '  this  present  evil  world.' 

Be  it  so.  We  fall  back  on  God.  We  ask  Him  to  ener- 
gize the  word ;  to  clothe  the  speaker  of  it  with  superhuman 
power ;  to  do  the  work  which  He  alone  can  do,  and  for 
the  doing  of  which  He  will  be  entreated  of  us.  Sword 
and  spear  and  armour  may  have  been  in  vain.  We  have 
still  the  sling  and  the  stone. 

In  reference  to  this  it  was  that  Mr.  Milne  wrote,  about 
this  time,  to  Mr.  Somerville  : — 

'  There  are  some  tokens  that  the  Lord  is  near  us,  and  I 
labour  in  more  than  hope.  My  heart  rejoices  and  feels  con- 
fident with  the  thought  of  your  being  with  me.  I  have  had  no 
news  from  the  Assembly ;  but  I  have  been  longing  that  there 
may  be  much  of  the  Spirit  with  the  brethren.  I  preached  on 
Sabbath  on  Acts  i.  8,  14  :  "  Ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you.  .  .  .  These  all  continued 
in  prayer."  What  constitutes  the  power  of  the  ministry  ?  It 
is  not  personal  qualification.     This  they  had  in  a  good  degree 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


already.  They  knew  the  facts  of  Christ's  history ;  they  had 
understanding  in  the  Old  Testament ;  they  had  the  determina- 
tion to  go  on  with  their  work ;  they  had  commission  or  autho- 
rity ;  they  had  a  pledge  of  divine  guidance  and  help,  "  Lo, 
I  am  with  you."  And  yet,  after  all  this,  "Ye  shall  receive 
POWER."  What  ?  Ability  actually  to  accomplish  the  ends  of 
the  ministry  in  converting  sinners  and  edifying  saints.' 

What  Mr.  Milne  felt  so  strongly,  both  at  this  time  and 
afterwards,  was  the  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit  for  the  ministry 
and  the  minister,  and  the  certain  failure  of  all  work  in  the 
Church  without  Him ;  the  uselessness  of  the  best  ecclesias- 
tical organizations  or  congregational  machinery,  or  even 
pastoral  work,  apart  from  the  direct  divine  energy  of  that 
mighty  Spirit  that  wrought  wonders  at  Pentecost,  and  is 
ready  still  to  work  wonders  as  great  in  these  latter  days. 
'  Wells  without  water '  will  furnish  no  refreshment ;  and 
lamps  without  oil  will  give  out  no  light.  The  Church's  dan- 
ger ever  has  been  to  substitute  a  ministry  of  the  intellect  for 
a  ministry  of  the  Spirit ;  to  confide  in  the  human  instead 
of  the  superhuman;  and  the  indication  that  she  is  entangled 
in  this  snare  is  the  feeling,  conscious  or  unconscious,  that 
she  can  do  with  less  prayer  now  than  formerly,  on  account 
of  the  progress  of  the  age, — an  age  which  is  supposed  not 
to  require  the  supernatural  helps  that  other  ages  did. 

Thus  Mr.  Milne  wrote  to  a  friend  some  years  after : — 
'  I  suspect  that  much  of  the  religion  you  will  meet  with 
has  more  of  the  flesh  than  of  the  spirit ;  more  of  self  than 
of  Christ ;  more  of  the  world  than  of  the  closet ;  more  of 
working  than  what  is  more  humbling — meek,  patient,  wait- 
ing on  the  Lord.'     And  at  another  time  he  says :  '  Perhaps 


POWER  WITH  GOD.  103 

working  is  more  dangerous  than  waiting,  though  both  have 
their  snares.' 

The  stress  which  he  laid  on  prayer  is  well  shown  in  the 
following  anecdote,  which,  though  relating  to  a  subsequent 
period,  fits  in  here.  '  We  went  up  the  hill,'  writes  he, 
'  and  through  the  garden.  The  gardener  was  working 
beside  the  summer-house.  I  said,  "This  is  a  morning  to 
your  mind."  "  Yes,"  he  said ;  "  but  oh,  sir,  there  has 
been  frost ;  the  strawberries  were  white."  I  said,  "  You 
have  always  a  bid.  Have  you  been  praying  for  a  good 
season?"  "I  have  been  doing  what  I  can,"  said  he; 
"  but  I  know  it  is  not  so  much  as  I  should."  So  we  went 
into  the  summer-house  and  prayed.' 

He  undertook  nothing  without  prayer.  He  never  went 
out  or  came  in  without  prayer.  Whatever  he  spoke  or 
wrote,  it  was  with  prayer.  He  felt  that  the  greatest 
favour  he  could  do  for  a  friend  was  to  pray  for  him.  His 
desire  was,  as  the  Perth  conferences  show,  to  stir  up  the 
Church  of  God  to  prayer.  He  understood  more  than 
most  of  us  these  words  of  the  prophet  (Hos.  xii.  3) — 

'  He  had  POWER  with  God  ! 
Yea,  he  had  POWER  over  the  angel  ; 
Yea,  he  prevailed, 
He  wept  and  made  supplication  unto  Him.' 

The  following  letter,  written  in  his  later  years,  will  show 
how  he  maintained  the  same  spirit  of  intercession  through- 
out his  ministry ;  that  as  he  had  begun,  so  he  went  on ; 
going  constantly,  and  exhorting  others  to  go  with  him  to 
the  one  fountainhead  of  blessing,  the  one  source  of  mini- 
sterial strength.     It  is  dated,  '  Free  St.  Leonard's  Manse, 


io4  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Perth,  22d  Feb.    1863.'     It  was  printed   and   circulated 
largely : — 

'  My  DEAR  FRIEND, — We  are  arranging,  God  willing,  for  a 
short  series  of  evangelistic  meetings  in  the  City  Hall  here,  from 
Sabbath  8th  to  Tuesday  17th  February  inclusive,  that  is,  ten 
successive  nights.  We  expect  to  have  some  of  those  with  us 
whom  God  has  used  and  honoured  in  this  kind  of  work.  But 
our  hope  is  in  the  Lord  Himself,  who  alone  can  give  the  in- 
crease, and  who,  we  have  reason  to  believe  from  several  indica- 
tions, is  at  this  time  very  near  at  hand.  We  earnestly  solicit 
your  prayers,  both  before  the  meetings  and  during  their  con- 
tinuance. Pray  that  those  employed  may  be  endued  with 
power  from  on  high,  that  they  may  forget  themselves,  and  care 
only  for  the  things  of  Christ.  Pray  that  there  may  be  a  wide, 
deep  interest  excited,  and  that  many  may  at  this  time  pass  into 
the  kingdom  of  God.  Pray  that  our  town  may  at  this  season 
be  blessed,  and  that,  through  it,  the  blessing  may  spread  all 
around.  Look  at  Ezek.  xxxiv.  26.  Take  hold  of  the  Lord  and 
constrain  Him.  You  know  that  He  loves  holy,  filial  boldness 
and  importunity,  and  complains  of  the  want  of  it.  Think  of  the 
preciousness  of  souls,  their  imminent  danger,  the  Lord's  joy 
when  poor,  heavy  laden  ones  come  to  Him.  Think  of  the 
influence  it  would  have  on  the  whole  year,  if  there  were  at  this 
time  a  very  marked,  decided  work  of  God  ;  and  as  you  think, 
let  your  heart  burn,  let  your  desires  be  stirred,  and  so  let 
fervent,  effectual  supplication  flow  forth. — Believe  me  very 
affectionately  yours, — J.  M.' 

It  was  power  that  he  sought ;  power  with  God  for  the 
sake  of  men.  He  desired  influence;  but  it  was  influence 
with  God,  and,  as  the  result  of  that,  influence  with  the 
souls  of  men.  Other  power  and  other  influence  he  cared 
nothing  for.  c  I  think,'  he  says,  '  I  feel  the  want  of 
power  to  speak  to  men  as  sinners ;  to  convince  them  of 
their  lost  estate.     O  my  Lord,  let  not  my  ministry  be  a 


THE  SECRET  OF  SUCCESS.  105 

useless,  ineffectual  one  !  Let  me  not  be  the  dumb  dog 
that  cannot  bark.'  And  again:  'I  see  that  useful  power 
in  dealing  with  souls  can  only  be  through  the  Holy  Ghost 
operating  upon  them.  O  Peace  of  our  peace,  Life  of  our 
life,  Light  of  our  light,  be  with  me  !' 

It  was  thus  that  these  men,  in  that  critical  time,  waited 
on  God  for  His  Spirit.  They  kept  in  mind  the  Master's 
words,  'Ye  shall  be  endued  with  power  from  on  high' 
(Luke  xxiv.  49) ;  '  ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you'  (Acts  i.  8). 

I  find,  some  years  after  this,  the  following  prayer  in  one 
of  Mr.  Milne's  diaries  : — 

'  I  pray  for  a  far  more  energetic  thankfulness  ;  to  be  a  whole 
and  a  continual  burnt-offering.  Let  all  false  fire  die  ;  but  let 
the  flame  of  love,  through  the  Holy  Ghost,  keep  me  spending 
and  being  spent.  Renew  my  spiritual  strength,  O  Lord.  .  .  . 
I  see  some  whose  heart  seems  to  be  right  with  God,  and  yet 
they  do  not  receive  much  blessing  on  their  work.  Perhaps 
they  are  not  seeking  themselves  ;  but  are  they  honouring  the 
Lord  by  faith  ?  The  soul  that  is  lifted  up  is  not  upright ;  it  is 
cleaving  to  self  instead  of  God  ;  it  is  trying  to  rise  by  building 
a  Babel  instead  of  taking  hold  of  the  Almighty.  But  there  is 
a  dishonouring  of  the  Lord  by  the  want  of  a  large,  joyful,  prac- 
tical expectation  that  goes  on  in  His  strength,  and  surely 
prevails.  Moses  had  not  this  at  the  commencement  of  his 
enterprise,  but  got  it  afterwards.  Many  seem  never  to  get  it, 
and  to  drudge  on  in  an  unprofitable  routine.' 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  mention  here,  though 
it  might  have  been  noticed  earlier,  that  it  was  by  this 
waiting  on  God  that  both  Mr.  Burns  and  Mr.  Milne 
became  what  they  were.  Up  till  the  memorable  Kilsyth 
Communion  in   1839,  Mr.   Burns  had  not  been  remark- 


106  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

able  as  a  preacher.  But  those  who  knew  him  can  tell 
how,  like  the  disciples  before  Pentecost,  he  continued 
in  prayer;  and  so  he  'received  the  power'  which  was 
afterwards  so  striking  in  his  ministry;  the  power  described 
by  a  contemporary  writer  as  possessed  by  old  Henry  Venn 
when  'men  fell  before  him  like  slaked  lime.'  So  was 
it  with  Mr.  Milne.  His  first  sermons  showed  nothing 
remarkable.  But  when  the  great  work  began  in  1839,  he 
himself  was  brought  under  its  power ;  he  rose  up  to 
another  level  both  in  life  and  service.  From  that  time 
he  started  on  a  new  course,  in  which  he  held  on  to  the 
last.  Other  ministers  at  such  times  have  been  stirred, 
and  then  gone  back.  He  never  from  that  day  looked 
back.  His  whole  after  life  took  its  tone  from  the  first 
months  of  his  ministry. 

Having  felt  what  it  was  to  be  '  revived,'  he  spoke 
freely  to  others.  At  an  interview  between  himself  and  a 
brother  minister,  the  latter  had  expressed  himself  strongly 
against  '  revivals.'  After  a  kindly  talk,  they  parted  with 
these  words  from  Mr.  Milne,  '  Take  heed  you  don't 
become  an  iceberg,  fixed  and  frozen,  while  others  are 
moving  on  in  the  warm  Gulf  stream.' 

Though  he  had  genuine  talent,  his  ministry  was  not 
what  is  called  '  intellectual '  by  those  in  whose  reckoning 
goodness  is  identified  with  weakness,  and  zealous  love 
treated  as  the  offspring  of  a  '  soft  theology,'  inconsistent 
with  scholarship  or  manly  breadth  of  mind.  He  sought 
to  be  '  filled  with  the  Spirit,'  and  so  to  be  a  man  of  pro- 
gress ;  for,  as  he  wrote  afterwards,  '  work,  success,  praise, 
all  seem  dry  and  worthless,  if  the  soul  is  lean.' 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

VARIOUS   YEARS. 
EVANGELISTIC   TOURS. 

FOR  several  years  the  General  Assembly  set  itself  in 
good  earnest  to  do  spiritual  work  for  Scotland. 
Once  and  again  a  whole  day  was  set  apart  for  humilia- 
tion and  prayer.  These  seasons  will  never  be  forgotten, 
though  the  number  of  those  who  took  part  in  them  is 
diminishing  fast.  Our  children  ought  to  hear  of  them,  and 
our  children's  children.  'Ecclesiastical'  work  was  not 
neglected ;  but  it  took  its  lower  and  more  becoming  place. 
'  We  did  run  well ;  who  did  hinder  us  ?' 

In  the  memorable  Assembly  of  1844,  after  Dr.  C. 
Brown's  admirable  sermon  on  Tuesday  the  17th,  and  the 
interesting  conversation  that  ensued,  the  following  motion 
was  unanimously  agreed  to  :  '  The  General  Assembly  being 
deeply  impressed,  as  in  the  sight  of  God,  with  a  sense  of 
the  sins  and  shortcomings  of  the  ministers  and  elders  of 
the  Church  in  their  holy  callings,  and  recognising  the 
voice  of  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  in  His  providential 
dealings  with  her,  and  in  the  Spirit  which  He  has  been 
pouring  out  upon  her,  whereby  He  has  been  pleased  to 


10S  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

awaken  some  measure  of  concern  as  regards  the  past  and 
present  fruits  of  the  ministry,  as  well  as  longing  prayers 
for  the  revival  of  vital  godliness  in  the  Church  and  land, 
do  desire,  with  profound  humiliation,  and  in  reliance  on 
the  great  strength  of  Almighty  God,  solemnly  to  devote, 
dedicate,  and  consecrate  anew  themselves  and  their  fellow- 
labourers  to  the  service  of  God,  and  His  holy  purpose  of 
glorifying  His  great  name,  in  saving  souls  through  the 
preaching  of  the  truth,  and  the  operation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.' 

At  that  time,  not  an  hour,  or  two  hours,  but  a  whole 
day,  nay,  two  days,  were  gladly  given  to  this  solemn  em- 
ployment. It  was  in  reference  to  this  that  Dr.  Chalmers 
made  the  statement,  now  I  fear  forgotten,  but  which,  espe- 
cially as  coming  from  him,  ought  to  be  pondered  by  the 
Church :  *  I  was  not  fully  aware  of  the  arrangements  of 
this  day,  else  it  might  have  been  altogether  spent  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  nature  and  spirit  of  the  exercises  we 
have  now  engaged  in,  that  is  to  say,  altogether  sabbatically. 
Instead  of  which  I  had  to  pass,  by  instant  transition,  from 
the  labours  of  a  committee,  engaged  in  important,  no 
doubt,  but  still  outward  business,  to  the  more  sacred  and 
spiritual  services  of  the  house  of  God.  What  a  change  ! 
What  an  enlargement !  What  a  felt  and  immediate  trans- 
lation !  As  if  one  had  entered  into  a  new  country  and  a 
new  climate,  when  I  came  within  the  precincts  of  this 
house  of  prayer,  and  breathed  its  hallowing  atmosphere, 
and  joined  in  its  saintly  devotions.  Let  us  make  it  our 
unceasing  endeavour,  and  cherish  it  as  our  fondest  hope, 
that  all  our  external  arrangements  may  be  so  soon  settled 


PECULIAR  TIMES.  103 


and  set  by,  that  so  the  ministers  of  God  may  be  set  free 
for  giving  themselves  wholly  to  prayer  and  the  ministry  of 
the  word.  Oh  may  the  delightful  spirit  of  this  meeting 
wax  stronger  and  stronger  amongst  us,  and  be  sent  forth 
from  our  Assembly,  as  a  centre,  throughout  the  Church  and 
throughout  the  land  V1 

How  far  we  have  fulfilled  our  vows,  it  is  not  here  need- 
ful to  say.  Many  of  our  best  men  have  feared  that  we 
have  come  short,  and  that  subsequent  years  exhibit  no 
reaping  worthy  of  the  sowing.  '  We  have  not  wrought  any 
deliverance  in  the  earth,'  have  been  words  often  on  the 
lips  of  brethren  who  love  our  Church  both  wisely  and  well. 

Mr.  Milne  seems  to  have  had  some  thought,  both  then 
and  afterwards,  that  the  times  were  peculiar,  needing  no 
ordinary  faith  and  grace  to  enable  us,  not  simply  to 
advance,  but  even  to  hold  our  ground.  Thus  he  writes  to 
Mr.  Somerville  :  *  If  I  mistake  not,  we  are  approaching  a 
new  era.  Common  grace  will  not  suffice,  for  we  seem  about 
to  enter  on  new  and  troublesome  times.  I  fear  few  of  us  are 
willing  to  believe,  or  at  least  to  realize  this.  We  like  to 
be  quiet  and  to  be  let  alone,  like  the  Kenite,  in  our  islet 
nest.  But  this,  I  fear,  is  impossible.  When  the  Lord's 
time  is  come,  who  can  stay  His  hand?  Perhaps  the  Lord 
is  taking  you  aside  to  rest  awhile  before  the  battle  is 
joined.     May  it  be  Tabor  and  Patmos.' 

But  it  was  needful  to  work  for  God,  as  well  as  to  wait 

1  See  '  Report  of  the  whole  Proceedings  of  the  late  General  As- 
sembly of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  relative  to  the  State  of  Religion 
in  the  Land ;  with  introductory  remarks  by  the  Rev.  A.  Moody  Stuart' 
Edinburgh,  1844. 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


upon  Him.  To  the  work,  then,  the  Assembly  addressed 
itself.  Selecting  those  who  were  deemed  fittest  for  evan- 
gelistic service,  the  Church  sent  them  abroad  over  the 
land  into  the  different  places  considered  most  needful  and 
populous.  Summer  after  summer  these  men  went  out  into 
the  towns  and  villages ;  some  to  the  southern  borders,  and 
some  to  the  Ultima  Thule  of  Scotland, — the  Shetland  Isles; 
some  to  the  agricultural  regions,  and  some  to  the  mining 
districts ;  so  that  all  the  needy  parts  of  the  land  might,  as 
much  as  possible,  be  penetrated  by  this  peculiar  and  stimu- 
lating agency.  The  fruit  of  these  summer  evangelistic 
excursions  has  not  been  small.  Much  of  the  awakening 
that  has  been  manifested  in  different  places  may  be  traced 
to  these  as  the  beginning. 

Among  these  summer  evangelists  was  Mr.  Milne.  He 
was  eager  for  the  work.  It  was  quite  according  to  his 
mind.  He  threw  himself  heartily  into  it,  as  he  had  before 
thrown  himself  into  similar  work  in  Newcastle  and  the 
neighbourhood,  along  with  myself  and  one  or  two  others. 
'  I  am  happy,'  he  writes  to  Mr.  Somerville,  '  you  have  in- 
cluded me  among  the  evangelists.  I  should  have  been 
sorry  if  I  had  shut  myself  out  from  such  work.' 1 

Mr.  Milne's  report  of  his  evangelistic  tour  we  shall  have 
to  cite  in  a  little.     But  in  a  note  to  Mr.  Somerville  he  gives 

1  From  this  letter  I  quote  the  following  sentence,  in  reference 
to  the  events  of  the  day  : — '  I  preached  yesterday  forenoon,  in  con- 
nection with  Dr.  Chalmers'  death,  on  Matt  xxiv.  44.  I  felt  im- 
pressed, and  so  seemed  the  people.  I  have  a  letter  to-day  from 
William  Burns,  after  putting  his  things  on  board.  He  seems  soft  and 
humble;  and  it  tugs  my  heart-strings  to  think  that  we  may  never  meet 
again  on  earth.' 


EVANGELISTIC  TOURS. 


the  following  sketch  of  one  of  these  gospel  journeys : — 
'  In  answer  to  your  queries,  the  places  where  I  was  were 
Airdrie,  Holytown,  and  Coatbridge,  preaching  in  and  round 
about.  I  began  on  Tuesday,  28th  July,  and  ended  on 
Tuesday,  25th  August;  being,  I  think,  twenty-nine  days. 
I  preached,  I  find,  forty-one  times, — twelve  of  these  in 
church,  four  or  five  in  schoolhouses,  etc.,  and  the  rest  in 
the  open  air.'  In  another  note  to  the  same,  he  writes  of 
another  tour  : — '  I  feel  for  that  district.  I  think  while  there 
I  entered  into  the  expression  of  the  Saviour,  "  He  had 
compassion  on  the  multitudes."  I  left  my  people  in  good 
heart,  because  of  all  they  enjoyed  at  the  Communion. 
They  seem  to  have  been  exceedingly  strengthened  and 
refreshed.  I  wish  you  would  interest  the  committee  in 
the  Upper  Ward  of  Lanark.  It  is  so  near  that  it  is  a 
shame  to  overlook  it.  I  am  happy  that  I  went  out  for  a 
short  time  this  summer.' 

His  first  gospel  tour  was  in  1846,  to  what  he  calls  '  the 
Airdrie  district;'  and  his  report  of  it  (dated  August  28th) 
is  as  follows  : — 

'  Having  just  got  home,  after  being  a  little  more  than  a 
month  out,  according  to  desire  I  write  you  a  few  words  about 
my  movements  in  the  Airdrie  district.  I  am  not  sure  that 
you  are  acquainted  with  this  quarter  of  the  country,  though  it 
is  so  near  you.  It  is  situated  in  the  parishes  of  Old  and  New 
Monkland,  and  the  highway  between  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow 
passes  through  the  heart  of  Airdrie  and  Coatbridge.  Some 
thirty  years  ago,  or  less,  these  two  places  were  mere  villages 
on  the  road-side  (occupied  by  handloom  weavers),  and  a  few 
coal  pits.  It  was  found,  however,  that  one  of  the  richest  beds 
of  ironstone  in  the  country  is  in  this  neighbourhood  ;  and  this 
discovery,  combined  with  the  unprecedented  demand  for  iron, 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


arising  from  the  introduction  of  railways,  and  the  application 
of  iron  to  a  variety  of  new  uses,  has  caused  a  most  rapid  and 
surprising  change  upon  the  neighbourhood. 

'  The  value  of  property  has  increased  amazingly,  not  on 
account  of  the  surface,  but  what  is  beneath.  For  instance, 
one  estate,  which  a  while  ago  yielded  only  a  few  hundred 
pounds  a  year  for  agricultural  purposes,  now  yields  annual 
rental  of  ,£23,000  and  more.  The  feuars  sell  the  iron  and  coal 
under  their  houses  and  kail-yards,  and  the  church  managers 
sell  the  minerals  under  their  churches  and  churchyards,  and 
the  magistrates  sell  the  underminings  of  their  streets  and 
squares.  In  short,  the  good  folks  seem  to  think,  speak, 
and,  I  presume,  dream,  of  undiscovered  El-Dorados  of  iron- 
stone. Don't  think  all  this  irrelevant,  for  I  suspect  this  is  the 
wealthiest  rural  district  we  have,  and,  if  well  wrought,  would 
yield  the  sinews  of  war. 

'  The  country  has  a  barren,  ill-cultivated  appearance,  covered 
with  coal  and  iron  mines ;  each  with  its  machinery,  smoking 
chimney,  and  railway  for  the  conveyance  of  the  products  of 
the  pit.  The  country  is  literally  cut  up  with  railways.  These 
miners  constitute  a  large  portion  of  the  population.  They  are 
peculiar  in  their  character  and  habits.  They  begin  work 
about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  end,  according  to  their 
assiduity  and  skill,  about  twelve,  one,  two,  three,  or  four 
o'clock.  I  have  spoken  with  many  of  them  coming  home 
from  their  work  in  crowds  at  all  these  hours.  The  rest  of  the 
day  is  their  own,  and  is  spent  in  lounging  about,  and  very 
commonly  in  playing  cards.  You  see  them  in  large  groups, 
old  and  young  ;  the  old  with  full-sized,  and  the  juveniles  with 
small  packs  of  cards,  about  half  the  size  of  one's  finger.  I 
called  them  the  Devil's  Bible,  which  they  took  in  good  part, 
and  often  left  their  amusement  to  come  and  hear  sermon.  .  .  . 
These  miners  are  almost,  without  exception,  joined  in  an  ex- 
tensive and  well-consolidated  confederacy.  I  met  it  in  all 
directions,  and  the  management  of  it  seems  greatly  to  occupy 
their  attention.     The  object  is  to  protect  themselves  from 


THE  IRON-WORKS. 


what  they  call  the  tyranny  of  the  masters,  whom  I  think  they 
very  unjustly  suspect.  The  effect  seems  to  be  every  way  in- 
jurious to  good  order  and  regular  industrious  working.  They 
earn  every  man  5s.  a  day,  the  boys  from  2s.  to  5s.  They 
strike  me  as  in  a  very  low  state,  both  morally  and  spiritually. 
They  seem  unsocial,  working  so  much  in  the  dark,  and 
usually  with  only  a  single  companion.  They  do  not  seem 
to  spend  their  leisure  time  in  reading.  I  remarked  that  it 
was  rare  to  see  old  men  among  them ;  and,  on  inquiry,  found 
that  if  they  were  not  cut  off  by  some  of  the  many  perils  to 
which  they  are  exposed,  yet  their  life  is  generally  shortened 
by  asthma,  etc.  I  went  down  one  of  the  pits,  that  I  might  be 
able  to  speak  experimentally. 

'  Another  feature  of  the  district  is  the  large  iron-works  for 
melting  the  ironstone,  called  furnaces ;  and  the  malleable  iron- 
works for  refining  and  preparing  it  for  various  purposes — rail- 
ways, wheels,  etc.  These  are  very  numerous  and  extensive 
around  Coatbridge,  Holytown,  etc.  In  connection  with  some 
of  these,  there  are  two  or  three  thousand  men  engaged  in  the 
various  operations.  They  are  many  of  them  English,  and 
some  Welsh ;  the  Scotch  and  Irish  not  being  skilled  in  this 
kind  of  work.  They  earn  very  large  wages — 6s.,  or  7s.,  or  8s., 
and  more  a  day.  -  Many  of  these  men  work  on  Sabbath  as  well 
as  the  week-day — the  furnaces -being  kept  at  work  unceasingly 
night  and  day,  in  utter  contempt  of  the  requirements  of  body 
and  soul,  and  the  commands  of  God's  law.  These  men  live 
in  good  two-storied  houses,  very  neat  and  comfortable,  and 
seem,  as  far  as  the  animal  is  concerned,  to  fare  well. 

'  I  visited  two  of  the  largest  of  these  works,  the  one  in  day- 
light, and  the  other  late  at  night,  after  preaching,  and  was 
very  much  interested  by  the  huge  machinery,  the  order  and 
regularity,  the  crowds  of  half-naked,  perspiring  men,  and  the 
bright  lurid  flames  which  blazed  in  all  directions. 

'  The  population  of  the  small  district  which  I  visited  is 
70,000  or  upwards,  not  gathered  together  as  in  the  older  part 
of  Glasgow,  but  scattered  over  the  space  of  two  or  three  miles ; 

H 


114  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

not  consisting  of  the  poor  and  wretched,  who,  if  they  have  the 
will,  have  not  the  means  of  debauchery,  but  consisting  of  the 
young  and  active,  earning  large  wages,  free  from  all  control, 
and  having  abundance  of  time  at  their  command.  I  feel  that 
one  cannot  overstate  the  importance  of  this  district,  or  the 
necessity  there  is  for  our  Church  dealing  energetically  with  it. 

'  The  way  in  which  I  sought  to  be  useful  was  preaching  in 
the  open  air  once  a  day,  and  latterly  always  twice ;  preaching 
in  the  afternoon  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  then  going  to  the 
heart  of  Coatbridge,  where  there  was  always  an  immense  con- 
course of  people,  and  preaching  there  at  seven  o'clock  in  a 
kind  of  open  space.  In  going  about  I  distributed  tracts,  and 
got  into  conversation  with  the  people  as  I  went  along.  I 
never  have  had  such  an  opportunity  of  making  proof  to  the 
very  full  of  my  ministry,  and  I  certainly  never  spent  such  a 
happy  month.  I  lived  two  weeks  in  Mr.  Jackson's  house,  one 
week  in  Mr.  Jaffrey's,  and  another  in  Mr.  Connel's;  being 
made,  by  their  kindness  and  hospitality,  to  feel  completely  at 
home,  and  bringing  away  with  me  an  abiding  and  refreshing 
remembrance  of  our  Christian  intercourse.  I  have  reason  to 
believe  that  the  visit  has  not  been  without  beneficial  results  in 
various  ways. 

'  I  have  suggested  to  the  brethren  to  seek  occasional  help 
from  you  and  some  of  the  other  Glasgow  brethren,  which  I 
trust  you  will  give  them;  also  the  getting  savings  banks  se1 
on  foot,  and  extended  to  the  various  localities  and  large  works- 
A  committee  was  formed,  and  they  are  to  commence  arrange- 
ments this  week ;  also  that  the  few  brethren  who  are  locally 
near  one  another,  and  have  to  deal  with  the  same  difficulties, 
should  meet  occasionally  for  prayer  and  conference.  I  have 
also  written  to  Mr.  Bridges  to  get  a  cheap  edition  prepared  of 
a  narrative  called  Light  in  Darkness,  which  I  think  peculiarly 
fitted  to  be  useful  to  the  colliers,  etc.  He  has  written  me  that 
they  are  to  prepare  "  a  miner's  edition  of  it,"  and  the  brethren 
and  other  friends  have  engaged  to  get  it  widely  circulated. 

'  I  preached  also  one  night  in  Shotts  parish,  and,  ere  we  left, 


PREACHING  TOURS.  115 

arrangements  were  made  with  the  prospect  of  forming  a  Free 
Church  congregation  in  this  important  and  necessitous  dis- 
trict. A  strong  committee  was  formed  on  the  spot,  and  I 
think  the  thing  will  go  on  prosperously. 

'  One  other  suggestion  is,  the  getting  up  of  good  Free  Church 
schools.  There  is  not  one  yet  in  the  district.  In  connection 
with  all  the  large  iron-works  there  is  a  school  for  the  children 
of  the  work-people  ;  but  they  are  the  most  miserable  and  in- 
efficient that  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  If  each  of  our  con- 
gregations had  a  good  school  in  connection  with  it,  it  would 
be  a  mighty  help  to  its  prosperity,  and  an  unspeakable  boon 
to  the  district. 

'  I  owe  the  deepest  obligation  to  our  brethren,  Messrs.  Jack- 
son, Jaffrey,  Connel,  and  Lawson,  who  gave  up  their  time  and 
comfort  to  accompany  me  in  moving  about,  and  in  concurring 
to  make  the  visit  useful.  I  find  that  their  services  among  my 
people  have  been  much  appreciated. 

'  See  what  a  long  epistle  I  have  written !  But  I  cannot 
express  the  strong  feeling  I  have  of  the  importance  of  this 
district,  of  the  good  it  may  yield  if  prosperously  worked,  and 
the  evil  it  will  do  if  neglected.  All  kinds  of  evil  are  fester- 
ing here  :  false  doctrine,  profligacy,  ungodliness,  and  reckless 
trampling  under  foot  of  God's  day.  It  is  an  eating  sore,  and 
spreading  too. 

'  Will  you  give  it  your  consideration,  and  make  it  known  to 
others  who  may  help  ?  I  feel  thankful  for  having  had  this 
opportunity  of  teaching  and  learning,  for  I  have  been  both  an 
instructor  and  a  scholar.' 

His  second  tour  was  in  1847  ;  and  from  his  report  (dated 
19th  August)  the  following  extracts  are  given  : — 

'  I  then  preached  at  Carmichael.  It  rained  very  heavily, 
but  I  found  a  good  many  people  gathered  together,  and  stand- 
ing under  a  few  trees  at  the  side  of  the  Carlisle  highway. 
I  stood  upon  a  little  hillock  of  earth  while  I  preached,  and  was 
so  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the  people,  that  I  determined 


n6  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

to  have  another  meeting.  I  accordingly  preached  in  the  same 
place  last  Sabbath  night,  and  had  a  large  congregation.  There 
were  some  of  the  large  farmers  with  their  families,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that  we  might  have,  and  ought  to  have  here  a  strong 
and  prosperous  rural  congregation.  We  must  do  something 
for  this  district.  The  people  look  to  us.  They  are  literally 
perishing  for  lack  of  knowledge ;  and  I  never  was  so  struck 
with  the  needfulness  and  value  of  the  Disruption  movements, 
as  from  what  I  saw  here  and  elsewhere  in  this  country. 

'  South-east  from  Carnwath  is  another  cluster  of  Moderate 
parishes,  Dunsyre,  Dolphinton,  and  Walston.  I  had  meetings 
in  all  the  three.  In  Walston  there  is  a  small  Free  Church  at 
a  little  hamlet,  Ellsridgehill.  It  is  well  set  down  to  rake  the 
three  parishes  as  well  as  the  parish  of  Biggar,  which  adjoins  it 
on  the  south.  It  is  a  miserable  place,  however,  a  small  Old 
Light  chapel,  which  the  Free  Biggar  Presbytery  have  got 
somehow  possession  of.  They  cannot  get  a  site  for  a  manse, 
else  they  have  the  means  of  building  a  small  one.  There  are 
several  men  who  have  bits  of  land  in  and  round  the  hamlet. 
I  spent  nearly  two  hours  in  trying  to  get  one  of  them  to  give  a 
site,  but  in  vain.  Something  must  be  done  for  this  place. 
Either  it  will  have  to  be  given  up,  or  else  it  must  be  strength- 
ened, and  put  upon  a  right  footing,  for  it  would  be  inhuman  to 
leave  one  of  our  ministers  in  such  circumstances.  I  preached 
in  the  small  chapel.  Also  at  Dunsyre.  Here  Mr.  Patteson  has 
a  meeting  once  a  fortnight  Also  at  Dolphinton.  I  found  the 
people  standing  in  the  open  air,  amid  the  rain.  We  went  to 
one  farm,  but  could  not  get  admission.  We  went  to  another, 
and  took  possession  of  the  barn.  At  the  end,  I  asked  if  the 
farmer  was  present.  He  came  forward.  I  asked  if  he  would  give 
his  barn  again,  and  he  said  he  would.  Mr.  Patteson,  who  was 
with  me,  then  said  that  he  had  long  desired  to  hold  meetings 
in  Dolphinton,  but  had  never  been  able  to  get  a  place ;  but 
that  now  the  door  seemed  opened.  We  fixed  that  he  should  go 
there  next  Sabbath  night,  which  he  accordingly  did  ;  and  there 
will  henceforth  be,  I  trust,  a  regular  station  in  Dolphinton. 


PREACHING  TOURS.  117 


'  It  was  late  when  we  arrived  at  Abington,  about  11  o'clock. 
We  found  the  inn  completely  pre-occupied.  It  is  far  superior 
to  what  one  meets  with  in  such  a  place,  having  been  built  by 
Sir  Edward  Colebrooke,  the  chief  proprietor  in  this  county,  as  a 
residence  for  his  friends,  when  they  come  down  to  shoot.  This, 
unhappily  for  us,  was  the  evening  of  the  12th  of  August,  and  the 
house  was  full.  After  a  time,  however,  some  one,  I  suppose,  had 
agreed  to  sleep  with  a  companion,  and  give  us  their  bed,  and 
so  we  got  housed.  Abington  is  a  considerable  village.  I  went 
to  the  school  and  spoke  a  little  to  the  children,  and  gave  each 
a  tract  to  take  home.  This  village  would  be  the  place  for  a 
Free  Church  for  the  district,  as  soon  as  things  are  ripe  for  it. 
It  is  of  considerable  size,  situated  on  the  Carlisle  road,  having 
the  village  of  Roberton  about  four  miles  from  it  on  one  side, 
and  the  village  of  Crawford  about  four  miles  on  the  other,  and 
all  these  having  the  Carlisle  road  running  through  them. 
Then,  about  four  miles  off,  among  the  hills,  is  the  village  of 
Crawfordjohn,  where  the  parish  church  and  school  are.  We 
now  crossed  the  hills  to  this  sequestered  village  of  Crawford- 
john. There  were  two  small  public-houses  in  the  place,  but 
neither  of  them  seemed  willing  to  take  us  in.  One  of  them 
agreed  to  give  us  tea,  but  would  on  no  account  accommodate 
us  for  the  night.  I  found  there  are  a  few  persons  who  go  over 
occasionally  to  Douglas,  to  Mr.  Jaffrey.  One  of  these  is  a 
small  farmer  named  Watson,  adjoining  the  village.  I  found 
in  one  of  his  fields  a  few  boards  nailed  together  for  a  minister 
to  stand  upon  while  preaching ;  and  sermon  is  given  here  oc- 
casionally by  Mr.  Jaffrey,  Douglas  ;  Mr.  Parker,  Lesmahagow, 
etc.  It  was  a  beautiful  evening,  and  the  people  were  very  busy 
with  their  hay.  The  meeting,  therefore,  was  not  large.  WhaC 
struck  me  was  that  the  men  and  women  were  all  dressed  in 
their  best  clothes.  They  spread  their  plaids  on  the  grass  and 
sat  down.  A  few  people  came  out  of  the  village  in  their 
working  dress  ;  but  they  would  not  come  forward  and  join  the 
little  congregation,  but  stood  behind  a  stone  wall.  At  the  end 
of  the  meeting  it  was  beginning  to  grow  dark.     I  intendefl  to 


nS  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

go  to  Crawford,  which  is  about  seven  miles  off,  but  found  that 
it  would  be  impossible  to  find  the  way  at  night  among  the  hills. 
So  we  set  out  for  Roberton,  which  is  about  the  same  distance, 
and  got  there  very  late.  The  people  were  gone  to  bed,  but, 
after  some  delay,  rose  and  admitted  us.  It  was  a  wretched 
place ;  but  we  were  glad  to  get  under  cover,  and  passed  the 
night  as  we  best  could  without  putting  off  our  clothes.  In  the 
morning  we  left  early,  and  walked  along  the  Caledonian  Rail- 
way, speaking  with  the  workmen,  and  giving  them  tracts.  I 
asked  one  of  the  engineers  to  explain  something  to  me,  which 
he  very  civilly  did.  In  speaking,  he  said  something  about 
erecting  a  bridge  over  the  Danube  at  Pesth  in  Hungary.  I 
said,  "  Did  you  know  Dr.  Duncan,"  etc.  ?  His  face  immediately 
brightened.  He  had  known  the  Doctor  most  intimately,  and 
insisted  upon  our  going  with  him  to  see  his  wife,  who  had  seen 
much  of  Mrs.  Duncan  at  Pesth.  After  a  long  walk  we  got  to 
Culter  Manse,  and  so  ended  our  journeying,  as  a  gig  met  us 
there  and  took  us  on  to  Carnwath. 

'  I  am  ashamed  of  this  long  rambling  detail,  but  am  anxious 
that  attention  should  be  drawn  to  this  large  and  most  destitute 
and  hitherto  neglected  district.  It  will  soon  be  the  chief 
thoroughfare  between  England  and  Scotland.  It  is  a  great 
privilege  to  be  permitted  to  cast  the  net  in  places  not  gospel- 
beaten. 

'  Let  me  bring  also  before  you  the  state  of  the  vast  district 
contained  in  the  parishes  Roberton,  Crawfordjohn,  and  Craw- 
ford. Scarcely  anything  has  yet  been  done  for  them.  I  should 
have  liked  to  spend  a  week  here,  but  you  know  I  have  been 
providentially  tied  up  by  family  circumstances.  In  conclu- 
sion, I  feel,  perhaps,  more  satisfaction  in  looking  back  on  this 
service,  than  perhaps  on  anything  else  of  the  kind  in  which 
I  have  been  engaged.  I  have  enjoyed  unvaried  liberty,  and 
often  a  good  deal  of  affection  in  preaching  and  speaking  with 
the  people.  They  seemed  also  much  solemnized  and  affected, 
and  I  have  a  strong  and  thankful  conviction  that  good  has 
bee*n  done.     There  was  a  good  deal  of  labour  in  travelling 


END  URING  HARDNESS.  i  1 9 

about,  and  a  good  deal  of  exposure  from  wet,  cold  nights  ;  but 
I  am  better  in  health  and  spirits  than  when  I  set  out.  The 
instrument  has  not  been  blunted,  but  sharpened,  and  I  look 
forward  with  hopefulness  to  my  winter  home  work.' 

We  fear  that  in  these  days  he  did  too  much.  Pastoral, 
ministerial,  and  evangelistic  work  were  not  meant  for  one 
single  man.  For  each  of  these  Mr.  Milne  was  admirably 
fitted,  and  for  each  of  them  he  had  a  fervent  and  irre- 
pressible desire.  He  excelled  in  all  of  them  ;  and  he  de- 
lighted in  them.  He  loved  his  work  and  his  Master  so 
well  that  he  would  take  no  holiday.  But  on  looking  back 
on  these  times,  and  judging  himself  in  the  light  of  wiser, 
though  not  less  fervent  years,  he  was  not  unwilling  to 
admit  that  he  had  erred  somewhat  in  denying  himself  all 
relaxation,  as  if  his  frame  could  never  wear  out.  '  I  feel,' 
he  writes  in  1859,  'that  I  am  suffering  the  retribution,  the 
nemesis  of  former  years,  of  unresting,  unrelaxing  labour ; 
the  regular  home  work  without  any  weekly  rest;  and  then, 
when  summer  came,  instead  of  the  yearly  relaxation, 
itinerancies  of  exciting  and  threefold  labour.  There  was 
real  folly  in  all  this.  It  was  just  as  it  were  saying,  "A  short 
life  and  a  merry  one  ;"  and  yet  in  the  end  one  finds  that 
there  comes  a  season,  neither  short  nor  merry,  when  the 
physical,  intellectual,  emotional,  and  spiritual  all  seem 
expended  and  worn  out,  and  the  unhappy  individual  be- 
comes a  trial  and  a  burden  to  himself  and  others.' 

There  is  in  this  a  warning  to  ministers,  and  a  lesson  to 
the  people.  No  man  can  bear  the  strain  of  constant  work 
during  the  twelve  months  of  the  year  without  a  month's 
rest  at  least,  any  more  than  he  can  get  through  the  twenty- 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


four  hours  of  the  day  without  the  appointed  sleep.  An 
over-wrought  minister  will  soon  be  like  an  over-wrought 
workman  ;  he  will  do  inferior  work,  and  in  the  end  he  will 
do  no  work  at  all.  Our  Lord  surely  taught  us  this  when 
He  said  to  His  disciples,  '  Come  ye  apart  into  a  desert 
place  and  rest  awhile.'  Hence,  in  May  1847,  Mr.  Milne 
writes  to  Mr.  Somerville,  declining  work  though  he  under- 
took it  afterwards  in  part : — 

'  I  now  fear  that  it  would  not  be  rigtt  in  me  to  undertake  a 
month  of  the  kind  pf  work  I  had  last  year.  I  should  get 
through  it,  I  trust,  but  I  fear  it  w->uld  unfit  me  for  vigorous 
working  among  my  own  people  duiing  the  winter.  I  suspect 
my  illness  last  November  arose  frrm  getting  jaded  in  the  west, 
and  then  coming  home  and  attempting  for  a  while  to  work 
very  hard,  making  up  the  leew?/  of  neglected  visitation  during 
my  absence.' 

Yet,  certainly,  it  is  better  to  wear  out  than  to  rust  out. 
And  while  the  tendency  jf  some,  like  Mr.  Milne,  is  to  do 
too  much,  perhaps  the  tendency  of  the  majority  is  to  do 
too  little,  both  in  the  way  of  study  and  of  work. 

The  first  six  yea^  after  the  Disruption  were  memorable 
years  in  many  respects ;  and  not  least  for  the  amount  of 
evangelistic  work  d?ne  throughout  the  land.  The  men 
who  went  out  to  n'each  felt  as  Whitefield  did  when  he 
said,  '  I  am  huntirg  for  lost  sinners  in  these  ungospelized 
wilds;'  or  when,  r- turning  from  an  evangelistic  tour,  he 
exclaimed,  'Anoner  inroad  into  Satan's  kingdom!'  and 
they  did  not  hse  their  reward.  They  wore  themselves 
out,  perhaps ;  hey  were  not  willing  to  yield  to  what  some 
called  a  prudmt  regard  to  health,  accounting  it  a  plea  for 
self-indulger-e,  an  excuse  for  the  love  of  ease ;  but  they 


EAGERNESS  FOR  WORK. 


did  a  work  which  has  not  been  like  the  morning  cloud  or 
the  early  dew. 

During  these  years  he  knew  no  holiday.  He,  like 
Robert  M'Cheyne,  made  it  a  rule  never  to  refuse  an  in- 
vitation to  preach,  unless  unable  or  pre-engaged.  And  in 
these  evangelistic  excursions  he  was,  as  he  said,  like  a 
pirate  on  the  seas,  or  a  moss-trooper  on  the  moors,  eager 
in  pursuit  of  prey  ;  so  that  sometimes,  he  feared,  there  was 
as  much  of  the  flesh  as  of  the  spirit  in  the  eagerness  to 
lay  hold  of  souls,  and  bear  them  back  as  his  prize.1 

To  these  summer  labours  he  ascribes,  in  part,  the  very 
severe  illness  which  he  had  in  November  1846.  It  came 
on  quite  suddenly  one  Sabbath  morning  with  an  attack 
of  unconsciousness,  from  which  he  did  not  recover  for  some 
time.  The  most  prompt  and  severe  remedies  were  used ; 
but  for  a  while  his  recovery  was  uncertain.  It  pleased 
God,  however,  to  answer  his  people's  prayers,  and  to 
restore  him. 

On  one  of  the  Sabbaths  during  which  he  was  laid  aside, 
Mr.  Moody  Stuart  preached  for  him,  and  through  him  he 
sent  the  following  message  to  his  people  : — 

'  Dear  Moody, — I  avail  myself  of  your  kind  offer  to  put  my 
beloved  people  a  little  in  possession  of  my  experience  at  this 
crisis.  Say  to  them  that  I  feel  that  I  belong  to  them,  and  that 
in  my  affliction  they  are  afflicted  ;  that  what  I  have  seen  and 

1  What  he  wrote  at  a  subsequent  time  may  be  quoted  here  in  refer- 
ence to  his  work  in  these  years  : — 'I  long  to  learn  how  I  may  reach  the 
hearts  and  consciences  of  those  around  me,  how  to  bring  the  religious, 
spiritual  element  to  bear  upon  them.'  And  again  he  writes  : — 'I  am 
sure  that  a  living,  holy,  consistent,  earnest,  prayerful  man  must  be  use- 
ful wherever  he  goes.' 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


heard  of  their  sympathy  with  me  has  very  greatly  endeared 
them ;  and  that,  if  spared  again  to  go  in  and  out,  I  trust  they 
will  see  that  the  tie  between  us  is  deeper,  stronger,  tenderer 
than  before.  Say  to  them  that,  doubtless  in  answer  to  their 
prayers,  I  am  wonderfully  acquiescent  in  this  humbling, 
awakening  dispensation  ;  that  I  am  even  in  some  measure 
thankful  and  joyful,  seeing  much  of  the  Lord's  goodness  in 
the  nature  of  it,  the  timing  of  it,  and  the  measure  of  it. 

'  Say  to  them  that  I  am  very  rapidly  recovering,  and  that  I 
am  permitted  by  my  medical  friends  to  say  that,  if  all  pro- 
gresses as  heretofore,  I  shall  be  worshipping  with  them  next 
Sabbath,  and  perhaps  taking  part  in  the  services  of  the 
sanctuary. 

'  Say  to  them  that  many  things  concur  to  make  me  feel  that 
the  Lord  has  something  yet  to  do  both  with  them  and  me. 
Last  Sabbath  was  the  first  Sabbath  of  my  eighth  year  among 
them.  I  had  finished  the  seventh,  and  was  without  any  parti- 
cular thought  going  to  begin  the  eighth.  But  how  was  it  begun  ? 
In  being  prostrated  by  a  stroke,  and  stripped  at  once  of  all  that 
my  foolish  heart  has  too  often,  I  fear,  made  a  ground  of  glory- 
ing before  God,  and  of  conceit  towards  man.  What  thanks  I 
owe  to  my  gracious  Saviour  for  casting  me  into  such  a  furnace, 
ere  I  began  the  second  stage  of  my  ministry  !  What  thanks  I 
owe  Him  for  making  me  what  I  am,  a  broken,  emptied  worm, 
having  nothing  now  to  hinder  me  from  taking  up  His  yoke 
and  learning  of  Him  !  Dear  brother,  my  heart  is  full  and  soft 
to-night,  but  strength  is  not  commensurate.  The  Lord  be  with 
you  and  with  our  flocks. — Believe  me,  very  affectionately  yours, 

'John  Milne.' 

He  also  wrote  in  November  1846  to  her  who  had  just 
promised  to  become  his  wife  : — 

'  I  see  clearly  the  Lord's  hand  in  this  affliction,  and  feel  that 
in  much  loving-kindness  He  has  done  it.  My  ministerial  life 
has  been  a  constant  moving, — toil,  anxiety,  temptation  without 
a  moment's  intermission,  and  without  a  loving,  sympathizing 


THOUGHTS  IN  TRIAL. 


heart  to  bear  a  share  of  the  burden,  and  soothe  under  it.  Oh, 
how  truly  the  devil  has  often  bestridden  me  and  spurred  me 
on  !  I  see  a  new  era  opening,  and  am  full  of  hope.  It  is  a  little 
trying  for  me  at  present  to  be  eating,  drinking,  sleeping,  with 
nothing  to  do,  no  preparation  for  Sabbath  ;  but  I  feel  more  for 
you  than  myself.  It  is  a  strange  beginning  for  you,  dear  R. ; 
yet  I  do  trust  it  is  sowing  in  tears  to  reap  in  joy,  it  is  laying  the 
unsightly  foundation  of  a  goodly  and  happy  superstructure.' 

On  December  3d  of  this  year  (1846)  he  thus  wrote  to 

Mr.  Somerville  : — 

1 1  am  fast  recovering,  though  not  going  about  yet.  I  do 
hope  that  I  have  got  permanent  good,  and  that  I  shall  not  for- 
get or  lose  the  teaching  of  my  Lord.  ...  I  have  hope  that  the 
Lord  will  so  show  us  the  worthiness  of  His  Son  that  we  shall 
ask,  expect,  and  receive  greater  things  than  we  have  yet  known. 
I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  an  idler.  We  should  try  to  keep  up 
continuity  of  grace.  Our  good  frames  are  usually  like  spring- 
tides, that  swell  high  and  then  speedily  shrink  back,  leaving 
our  deformity  and  feebleness  to  appear.  Would  that,  having 
received  Christ  Jesus,  we  could  walk  in  Him,  not  after  the  flesh, 
but  after  the  Spirit.  I  am  interested  by  what  you  say  of  next 
Sabbath  being  the  first  of  your  tenth  year.  May  it  prove  to 
you  a  blessed  day  !  On  the  first  Sabbath  of  my  eighth  year  I 
was  thrown  into  the  furnace.' 

And  about  the  same  time  he  writes  to  Collace  : — 

'  The  Lord  makes  me  a  little  happy.  Existence  seems  a 
blessing ;  for  the  new  way  is  ever  open  even  to  viej  and  the 
Lord  is  willing  that  I  should  follow  and  serve  Him.' 

Through  much  tribulation  he  was  to  enter  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.  The  billows  which,  in  their  approach,  threat- 
ened to  submerge  him,  as  they  came  on,  lifted  him  up  to 
the  heaven  he  was  bound  for. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

1847-1853. 

MARRIAGE   AND    FAMILY   SORROWS. 

ON  the  26th  of  January  1847,  Mr.  Milne  was  married 
to  Robina,  second  daughter  of  Kenneth  Stuart, 
Esq.  of  Annat  and  Rait.  It  was  truly  a  union  in  the 
Lord,  and  the  source,  for  a  few  brief  years,  of  much  joy 
and  blessing  to  him.1  Yet  it  was  through  this  that  his 
heaviest  trials  came  to  him,  fitting  him  for  larger  use- 

1  Immediately  before  his  marriage,  he  thus  writes  to  Mr.  Somer- 
ville  : — '  I  have  given  orders  about  barms  to-day,  and  was  offered  a 
reading  of  the  marriage-contract ;  but  as  it  looked  a  little  long,  I  did 
not  choose  to  be  troubled  with  it.  I  suppose  the  only  thing  now  is 
to  get  a  ring.  Care  is  now  and  then  peeping  in  at  the  door ;  but 
hitherto  I  have  been  enabled  to  thrust  the  intruder  out,  and  shut  the 
door  in  his  face.  But  I  feel  a  little  tremulous.  It  seems  like  a  flood 
that  has  not  yet  got  through  the  barrier,  but  may  rise  higher,  and 
prove  irresistible.  May  we  be  kept  by  the  mighty  power !  What 
weak,  wretched  things  we  are  !  I  almost  tremble  when  I  look  at  the 
abysses  of  my  nonentity,  or  rather  perversity.  But  Jehovah  is  real, 
and  Jehovah  is  right. '  And  again,  after  his  severe  illness  at  this  time  : — 
'  It  is  not  easy  to  pay  the  vows  which  we  have  made  in  trouble. 
Hezekiah  is  a  startling  beacon.  The  first  idea  when  I  awoke  to  con- 
sciousness was,  "  I  am  now  Jacob,  and  shall  go  halting  all  my  days ;" 
and  then,  "  I  will  make  worm  Jacob  a  sharp  thrashing  instrument." ' 


LIFE  AND  DEATH.  125 

fulness,  and  giving  a  new  direction  to  his  ministry.  The  joy 
was  turned  into  sorrow ;  and  again  the  sorrow  was  turned 
into  joy.  '  He  leadeth  the  blind  by  a  way  that  they  knew 
not,'  was  a  text  often  upon  his  lips  and  in  his  letters.  He 
had  tested  it  himself,  and  found  it  true. 

The  following  entries  in  his  family  Bible  give  us  the 
touching  outline  of  his  private  history,  at  this  time,  from 
his  own  pen  : — '  Robina  Stuart,  born  at  Annat  Lodge,  Perth, 
23d  April  1823  ;  married  at  Annat  Lodge,  26th  January 
1847.  Jessie  Marie  Milne,  born  at  Annat  Lodge,  5th 
August  1848.  Robert  John  Milne,  born  at  Leonard  Bank, 
12th  June  185 1. — Robina  Milne  died  at  Leonard  Bank, 
on  Sabbath,  15th  June  1851,  in  the  full  blessed  view  and 
experience  of  her  gracious  Lord  and  Redeemer.  Robert 
John  died  19th  August  1852,  at  Annat  Lodge,  where  Jessie 
Maria  also  died.  So  that  mother  and  children  are  now 
before  the  throne.  The  Lord  setteth  the  solitary  in  fami- 
lies, and  He  makes  solitary  again.  Blessed  be  His  name. 
"  Better  to  have  loved  and  lost,  than  never  to  have  loved 
at  all."  * 

Among  Mr.  Milne's  papers  there  is  a  beautiful  piece 
of  poetry  by  a  friend,  to  which  Mr.  Milne  appends  the 
following  note : — 

'  August  z\st,  1852. — Written  on  the  funeral  day  of  my  little 
boy,  Robert  John,  who  died  a  few  days  after  the  birth  of  Mrs. 
O.'s  infant  son.  She  had  very  lately  seen  my  little  boy,  and 
felt  much  interest  in  him.' 

'  In  these  few  last  summer  days, 

Each  of  us  a  child  hath  given ; 
I  to  tread  life's  thorny  ways, 

Thou  to  swell  the  ranks  of  heaveru 


126  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Into  sin  is  born  my  boy, 
Thine  to  everlasting  joy. 

Mine  a  feeble,  trembling  thing, 

Scarce  his  dazzled  lid  unfolds  ; 
Thine  before  the  Almighty  King 

Constantly  His  face  beholds. 
Mine  doth  wail  with  fear  and  pain, 
Thine  can  never  weep  again. 

On  my  infant's  baby  brow 

Shades  of  future  errors  press  ; 
Thine,  beside  his  Saviour  now, 

Wears  the  robe  of  righteousness. 
Mine  will  sin  ere  he  can  die, 
Thine  is  purified  for  aye. 

Ah  !  I  hold  thee  blest  in  this, 

Who,  in  spite  of  grief,  can  say, 
"  Lord,  it  was  Thy  greeting  kiss 

Gently  drew  my  babes  away — 
Love  to  them,  not  wrath  to  me  ; 
Are  they  not  at  home  with  Thee  ?" 

Pray  for  me,  bereaved  friend, 

That  when  death  my  children  claims, 

Like  thy  babes  may  be  their  end, 
Without  blot  upon  their  names, 

Writ  in  the  Redeemer's  scrolls, 

On  the  lists  of  ransomed  souls.' 

One  or  two  brief  extracts  from  letters  during  these  few 
happy  years  will  give  us  a  glimpse  of  the  brightness  of  his 
married  life.  They  show  how  little  of  the  morbid  there 
was  in  him  ;  how  thoroughly  he  enjoyed  every  good  and 
fair  thing  about  him  ;  how  much  of  the  cheerful,  the  child- 
like, the  playful,  and  the  poetic,  there  was  in  his  con- 
stitution. 


SUNSHINE.  127 


*  Every  day,'  he  writes,  '  and  everything  is  good,  if  we  take 
it  and  use  it  aright.  On  Wednesday,  I  actually  enjoyed  it 
The  mists  hanging  like  soft  down  upon  the  mountains  ;  hun- 
dreds of  white  hoary  streamlets  rushing  down  the  hill-sides, 
the  little  burnies  crossing  the  road,  and  glistering  out  of  sight, 
like  little  serpents  winding  away ;  and  then  a  sheep  breaking 
away  from  a  drove,  and  thinking  it  needful  to  run  before  the 
gig,  till,  being  fairly  wearied,  it  jumped  aside,  and,  as  we 
passed,  turned  up  a  look  of  expressive  intelligence,  as  much  as 
to  say,  "Haven't  I  done  a  clever  thing?"  And  the  curlew,  and 
the  hawk,  and  the  pee-weet,  playing  its  little  maternal  trick: 
to  draw  us  away  from  its  nest ;  then  a  word  or  two  with  driver, 
and  getting  him  to  sing  a  psalm;  and  thoughts  now  and  then 
of  better  things  ; — altogether,  one  may  be  worse  off  than  in  an 
open  gig,  on  a  cold,  down-pouring  morning,  going  through  a 
Highland  glen.' 

Again  he  writes  : — ■ 

'  I  send  you  Mary's  note,  which  is  very  good.     I  begin  to 

think  the  Pollies  are  not  a  bad  race.     There's  Mary  S , 

and  Mary  S ,   and  Mary  M .      And  then  there  was 

Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  Mary  Magdalene,  and  dear 
Mary  of  Bethany.  But  yet  Mary  is  not  to  ride  the  water  in  ; 
for  there  was  Queen  Mar)',  and  Bloody  Mar)-,  and  Mary  of 
Guise.' 

Then,  again,  he  writes  : — ■ 

'  I  have  been  very  idle  to-day,  and  am  not  pleased  with  my- 
self. But  in  such  moods  I  try  to  be  pleased  with  Christ  I 
am  willing  to  be  the  black  cloud  that  shall  make  His  righteous- 
ness appear  in  most  marked  relief.  What  poor  unprofitable 
things  we  are,  and  yet  the  Lord  thinketh  upon  us  ! ' 

He  was  a  very  happy  man,  notwithstanding  his  occa- 
sional moods  of  depression.  For  as  sunshine  is  the  cha- 
racteristic of  summer  days,  though  many  a  cloud  darkens 


128  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

its  June  and  July;  so  joy  was  a  true  feature  of  his  charac- 
ter, though  he  was  sometimes  troubled  in  spirit.  Thus, 
for  instance,  he  would  once  and  again  speak  out : — '  I  am 
brimful  of  happiness,  my  earthly  cup  is  running  over.  .  .  . 
We  cannot  expect  such  happiness  always  to  last.'  At  one 
of  his  last  communions  he  said  that  '  Christians  should  go 
through  the  world  singing  the  103d  Psalm.'  He  thus 
writes,  about  this  time,  to  Mr.  Somerville  : — 

*  I  feel  the  lapse  of  time  quickening,  and  begin,  I  think,  a 
little  oftener  to  look  across  the  bourne,  and  wish  that  "  present 
or  absent  I  may  be  accepted."  What  is  our  busiest  work  if 
we  are  not  accepted  in  it  ?  His  favour  is  life.  As  time  passes, 
also,  I  think  I  am  happier.  I  don't  know  that  I  ever  was  more 
so  than  during  the  last  six  or  seven  months.  Is  this  your  ex- 
perience ?  Does  it  not  sometimes  strike  you  that  our  hearts 
ought  to  be  far  more  lifted  up  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord  ?  He 
is  such  a  Master,  and  we  are  so  unworthy.' 

Again,  to  the  same,  Jan.  21,  185 1  : — 

'  I  was  at  Collace  yesterday,  at  a  little  meeting  of  brethren, 
which  we  found  refreshing.  Andrew  is  to  bring  in  your  eastern 
gatherings,  and  I  shall  bring  them  on  Saturday.  You  will  not 
object  to  their  paying  toll  by  the  way.  The  little  fox  seems  to 
have  been  an  object  of  deep  interest,  and  compensated  for  the 
absence  of  the  venerable  Tabby.  Either  the  appearance  of 
the  creature,  or  Andrew's  showing  off,  seems  amazingly  to  have 
wrought  upon  the  natives  of  Collace.  Andrew,  when  he  saw 
what  a  hit  he  had  made,  carried  Reynard  with  him  next  day  to 
St.  Cyrus,  where,  with  Dr.  Keith,  his  son,  etc.,  we  had  a  large 
meeting  of  old  and  young  ;  and  where  the  little  fox  was  as  great 
a  favourite  as  at  home.  When  he  sat  down,  the  old  Doctor  whis- 
pered into  his  ear,  '  Being  crafty,  he  caught  them  with  guile.' 
On  Thursday  evening  we  are  to  have  a  similar  meeting  of  old 
and  young  here,  to  follow  up  your  Monday  evenings,  which 


FAMIL  Y  BREA  CHES.  129 


seems  really  to  have  interested  and  instructed  rich  and  poor. 
So  your  goods  and  chattels  are  not  lying  idle,  but  laid  out  at 
usury,  without  hurt  to  them.  .  .  .  Oh  that  I  might  be 
more  pure,  more  fervent,  more  consistent !  I  think  I  should 
like  to  get  at  the  hidden  manna,  the  living  water,  the  Incarnate 
God  !  Strange  that  we  can  labour  after  that  which  is  not 
bread,  and  neglect  the  true  substance.  But  the  flesh  cannot 
rise  above  the  dust.  Oh  that  He  may  quicken  us  according 
to  His  word  !  What  answer  do  you  give  to  this  question, 
"  By  whom  shall  Jacob  arise  ?  "  A  departed  friend,  when  leav- 
ing one  part  of  the  field,  was  gladdened  when  he  saw  another 
coming  after  him  with  a  sharp,  sharp  sickle.  The  whole  world 
is  guilty  before  God, — a  world  of  criminals,  a  world  of  the 
condemned, — the  far  greater  part  ignorant,  heedless  of  their 
condition.     How  can  we  forget  or  overlook  this  ? ' 

For  a  short  period  after  his  marriage  his  life  was 
bright,  and  his  work  in  Perth  went  on  with  unbroken 
vigour. 

The  first  breach  in  his  family  was  by  the  death  of  Jessie 
Maria  in  1849,  about  eight  months  old.  In  a  letter  to 
his  wife  some  time  afterwards,  he  thus  gives  vent  to  his 
feelings  respecting  this  sorrow  : — 

'  There  is  not  a  day  I  don't  think  of  our  poor  little  totty. 
One  still  thinks  of  her  as  the  little  smiling  thing,  though  she 
has  far  outstripped  us  already  in  knowledge  and  goodness. 
I  don't  regret  her  death.  The  feeling  is  rather  a  pleasant 
thankfulness  for  her,  and  an  occasional  longing  to  fondle  her 
again.  But  I  think  we  should  so  love  the  Lord  that  we  should 
be  well  pleased  with  all  His  ways.  I  see  nothing  really  good 
now,  but  to  love  the  Lord,  and  then  all  that  is  His,  and  then 
to  mourn  over  what  has  gone  astray  and  lost  His  friendship, 
likeness,  and  love.  I  quite  feel  that  a  heart  loving  the  Lord  is 
a  right  and  happy  heart.  The  creature  is  hurtful  and  ruinous 
while  we  are  immersed  in  it,  and  lie  under  it,  but  good  when 

I 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


we  get  above  it,  for  then  we  look  down  and  love  it,  and  seek 
its  good  for  its  Creator's  sake.' 

The  death  of  this  little  one  was  a  sore  and  lasting  grief, 
so  that,  ten  years  after,  when  reading  aloud  of  the  death  of 
a  little  child,  he  became  so  affected,  that  the  individual 
to  whom  he  was  reading  had  to  stop  him,  and  gently  with- 
draw the  book. 

In  the  introduction  to  a  brief  record  of  his  wife's  death- 
bed experience,  which  was  one  full  of  joy  and  light,  he 
thus  writes  concerning  her :  '  Those  who  knew  her  are 
aware  how  meek,  gentle,  and  loving  she  was,  yet  the  Lord's 
dealings  with  her  for  years  were  those  of  the  Refiner  and 
Purifier.'  And  truly,  during  the  four  and  half  years  of 
their  married  life,  they  were  scarcely  ever  out  of  the  fur- 
nace. Sickness  and  bereavement  marked  nearly  the  whole 
course  of  these  years,  and  then  one  was  taken  and  the 
other  left.  The  little  boy  survived  his  mother  for  about 
a  year,  and  then  he,  too,  was  removed.  The  husband 
and  father  was  again  alone.  It  was  then  that  his  thoughts 
turned  to  India. 

There  are  one  or  two  letters,  illustrative  of  his  state  of 
feeling  at  this  period  of  trial,  which  may  be  quoted  here. 
He  writes  to  Mr.  Bonar : — 

'  My  dear  Andrew, — I  write  one  word.  You  know  that 
word — "  Ye  shall  be  scattered,  every  one  to  his  own,  and  shall 
leave  me  alone,  and  yet  I  am  not  alone."  I  got  this  a  few 
days  ago,  and  now  it  is  fulfilling.  They  are  all  away,  and  baby 
with  them,  to  Annat  Lodge,  and  I  am  left  for  a  little  with  empty- 
house  and  empty  heart.  Poor  Naomi  !  I  know  what  she  felt. 
I  was  full  and  am  empty.  Yet  I  love  my  Lord.  He  has  been 
unspeakably  kind  and  overwhelmingly  gracious.    I  cannot  for  a 


FAITH  AND  PATIENCE.  131 

moment  think  the  shadow  of  a  thought  that  He  has  dealt  hardly. 
Satan  has  sometimes  tried  to  make  me  think  it,  and  been 
saying,  how  few  there  are  that  suffer  as  you  are  doing ;  but  he 
does  not  get  leave  to  make  me  draw  any  conclusion  that  can 
darken  the  wondrous  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord.  I  see  that 
nature  must  be  in  the  grave,  and  the  flesh  upon  the  cross, 
and  "the  spirit  life  because  of  righteousness." — Your  very 
affectionate  brother,  'John  Milne.' 

Here  is  another,  to  the  same,  without  an  exact  date,  but, 
from  the  nature  of  its  contents,  about  the  same  time  : — 

'  Mv  very  dear  Brother, — I  was  favoured  with  your  kind 
and  welcome  note,  and  desire  to  reciprocate  your  brotherly 
love.  You  know  how  much  I  value  it,  and  thank  the  Lord  for 
it.  What  will  heaven  be,  where  those  who  love  will  never 
part !  I  wonder  how  completely  I  have  been  kept  in  peace, 
and  free  from  all  reflection  and  unkindness,  during  this  affair 
of  Mr.  Anderson.1  On  Saturday  morning,  at  breakfast,  I  got 
the  Guardian  from  A.  Somerville,  and  I  was  rather  annoyed, 
only,  however,  because  I  find  he  speaks  of  what  he  "  saw  and 
heard  in  my  house."  As  long  as  he  kept  to  myself,  I  really 
did  not  care  ;  but  this  seems  to  criminate  another  dearer  than 
myself.  .  .  .  But  we  must  not  be  overcome  of  evil,  and  I  only 
feel  pity  and  regret  that  he  is  ruining  himself.  It  was  evening 
on  Saturday  before  I  could  set  myself  rightly  to  prepare,  but 
I  was  helped ;  and  on  Sabbath  I  must  own  that  our  Lord 
was  gracious.  Thanks  for  your  "  Mercy  of  eternity."  Take 
another  in  return.     You  know  the  children's  lines — 

"On,  then,  to  glory  run, 
Be  a  crown  and  kingdom  won." 

1  Mr.  Jonathan  Anderson  of  Glasgow,  who  had  attacked  Mr.  Milne 
and  his  preaching.  His  case  came  afterwards  before  the  Presbytery 
of  Glasgow  and  the  General  Assembly.  There  are  several  allusions 
to  the  case  in  Mr.  M.'s  letters;  all  of  them  kindly  and  charitable. 
But  we  cannot  enter  into  details. 


r32  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

One  night  last  week  I  lay  down,  weary  and  rather  discouraged, 
when  these  words  came  into  my  mind  with  a  strange,  peculiar 
bright  reality  or  glory,  which  made  me  start  up  ere  I  was 
aware,  and  be  for  a  little  peripatetic.  Yesterday  afternoon,  in 
reading  in  church  Acts  xxii.,  Paul's  defence,  the  thought  struck 
me,  at  verses  17-21,  that  the  proximate  reason  of  Paul's  want 
of  success  among  his  countrymen  was,  that  he  trusted  too  much 
in  his  apparent  qualifications  for  the  work.  Like  Melancthon 
in  his  young  zeal,  he  thought  nothing  could  stand  before 
him.  "  Everybody  will  feel  that  must  have  been  no  light 
matter  that  has  made  me  thus  turn  round  ;  who  so  fit  to 
be  a  Jewish  missionary?"  And  so  he  wonders  and  almost 
complains  of  his  vain  labour.  But — go,  go.  Is  this  a  libel  ? 
Last  night,  in  reading  Job  xxxix.  14-16,  I  thought  I  got  a 
blow  under  the  fifth  rib  ;  but  you  know  it  was  from  a  friendly 
hand.' 

He  writes  to  Mr.  Flockhart,  one  of  his  elders  : — • 

'  I  feel  sad  and  fearful  when,  for  a  moment,  the  future  gets 
into  my  mind.  Hitherto  a  vivid  sense  of  the  eternal  world, 
and  of  my  glorified  one's  joy,  has  been  uppermost  in  my  mind; 
but  ever  and  anon  that  verse  is  coming  into  my  mind,  "  Ye 
shall  be  scattered,  every  one  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  me 
alone."  Pray  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  add  what  follows.  I 
feel  that  the  Lord  has  been  very  kind  in  so  wondrously  crown- 
ing His  work  of  sanctification,  and  in  giving  us  to  see  it. 
What  a  value  she  set  upon  your  prayers  !  With  what  interest 
she  inquired  and  heard  about  the  Tuesday  evening  supplica- 
tions, and  what  a  quiet  rest  she  seemed  to  feel  when  told  about 
the  feeling  there  was  of  the  Lord's  presence  on  the  Wednesday 
night,  just  before  the  Lord  interposed  in  her  behalf !  Will 
you  kindly  remember  me  to  all  the  brethren  ?  I  feel  a  shrink- 
ing from  much  meeting,  but  it  will  pass  by.  You  will  arrange 
for  the  meeting  to-morrow  night.  Oh,  what  a  cause  of  thank- 
fulness it  would  be  if  what  has  emptied  my  house  and  heart 
helped  to  fill  heaven,  and  to  fulfil  Christ's  joy  !' 


GIFTS  AND  SYMPATHIES.  133 

To  the  same  he  writes  : — 

'  I  was  much  surprised  and  affected  by  your  inclosure,  which 
I  received  last  night.  I  desire  to  see  much  of  the  love  of 
God  and  man  in  this  most  unlooked-for  yet  considerate  and 
seasonable  kindness.  Will  you  find  means  of  expressing  to 
my  friends  the  thankfulness  and  affection  which  I  feel  ?  They 
have  rejoiced  with  me  in  my  joy,  and  grieved  with  me  in  my 
sorrow,  and  ministered  to  me  in  times  of  difficulty  ;  and  I  do 
trust  that  these  are  only  the  indications  of  a  union  which  will 
outlive  this  passing  world.  I  feel  some  regret  that  they  should 
have  put  so  large  a  sum  at  my  disposal ;  but  their  abundant 
care  for  me  will,  through  grace,  make  me  more  instant  in  prayer 
for  them,  that  the  Lord  may  enable  them  to  be  daily  receiving 
Christ  Jesus  in  all  His  fulness,  to  bless,  and  sanctify,  and 
satisfy  their  souls.' 

To  Mr.  Edmond  he  writes,  on  the  7th  of  July : — 

4  My  very  dear  Friend, — I  have  at  this  time  had  very 
many  brotherly  and  friendly  expressions  of  sympathy,  but  none 
came  earlier  and  none  was  more  welcome  than  yours.  I  have 
lost  one  who  was  every  way  worthy  of  love  and  admiration, 
and  fitted  to  be  my  ornament  and  my  joy.  She  was  a  meek, 
gentle,  loving,  lady-like  creature,  with  a  superior  and  beautifully 
balanced  and  refined  mind.  I  have  an  empty  house  and  an 
empty  heart  Yet  exceeding  comfort  has  been  mingled  with 
the  sorrow.  The  Lord  was  very  very  kind  to  her  at  her  de- 
parture. I  have  never  read  or  heard  of  so  wondrous  a  scene. 
For  two  days  and  nights  we  sat  and  stood  beside  her,  and 
though  there  was  the  interchange  of  light  and  darkness,  con- 
flict and  victor)',  yet  for  a  long  time  at  the  end  there  was  peace, 
mounting  up  to  assurance,  triumph,  transport,  ecstasy.  I  wish 
I  could  tell  you  a  little  of  these  wondrous  forty-eight  hours. 
I  feel  that  it  is  "  separated,  but  not  divided  ;  gone  before,  and 
following."  All  my  thoughts  are  sweet,  thankful,  softening, 
elevating.  The  Lord  seems  saying  now,  "  You  have  nothing 
now  to  do  but  to  serve  me."' 


134  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

To  the  same  he  writes,  after  his  last  sorrow : — 

'  My  dear  Friend, — You  will  be  grieved  to  find  that  I  have 
again  to  make  a  claim  upon  your  sympathy.  My  dear  little 
boy  has  just  been  taken  home  to  meet  his  mother,  and  sister. 
The  thought  oversets  me  ;  but  I  shall  not  be  alone.  The  Lord 
still  remains,  and  some  dear  friends,  among  whom,  though 
we  so  seldom  meet,  I  fondly  reckon  you. — Believe  me  in  time, 
and  I  trust  in  eternity,  yours  very  affectionately, 

'John  Milne.' 

On  the  first  anniversary  of  his  great  bereavement  (15th 
June  1852),  he  writes  to  Mr.  Somerville  : — 

'My  very  dear  Brother,— I  go  to  Mr.  Cumming  on 
Thursday  week,  and  I  suppose  you  are  to  be  with  him  on  the 
Sabbath.  What  are  you  going  to  do  for  us  in  passing  ?  Let 
me  hear  before  Sabbath.  We  must  levy  toll  and  tax,  and  see 
that  the  King's  revenue  suffer  no  damage.  So  there  must  be 
no  covert  or  silent  passing  by.  Dear  brother,  remember  me. 
This  is  the  anniversary  of  dear  Rue's  going  home.  About  a 
quarter  before  twelve  this  day  year  she  entered  into  the  full 
glory,  for  it  had  already  begun.  The  past  year  has  been  a 
new  year  to  me.  The  Lord  has  been  strangely  kind  ("  as 
one  whom  his  mother  comforteth"),  lifting  me  up  when  cast 
down,  and  smiling  me  out  of  my  bad  humours,  and  making 
me  ashamed  of  myself,  and  a  wonderer  at  Him,  when  I  was 
beginning  to  think  that  I  was  hardly  used.' 

To  the  same  he  writes,  about  the  same  time  : — 

'  Your  plan  will  do  admirably.  I  will  go  with  you  to  An- 
drew's, and  we  shall  come  back  for  our  Tuesday  evening  meet- 
ing. Collace  woods  have  their  memories,  so  have  Arran  shores 
and  hills.  Our  week  of  fullest  happiness  was  there.  I  came 
from  my  work  in  Lanarkshire,  and  stayed  a  whole  week,  trot- 
ting my  dear  Rue  about  on  Donald,  stubborn,  tricky  fellow  as 
he  was.  But  he  never  was  rude  to  her,  though  he  played 
tricks  to  all  the  rest  of  us,  and  carried  poor  Eliza  on  toward 


TRANQUILLITY.  135 

Brodick.  These  days  can  never  return  to  me  ;  but  I  can  re- 
joice in  my  dear  brother's  quiet  full  joy.  Tuesday,  a  quarter 
before  twelve,  was  the  anniversary  of  her  going  home.  Lat- 
terly I  have  blen  kept  constantly  busy  and  happy  in  my  work, 
which  is  very  kind,  is  it  not  ?  Mr.  Cumming  will  tell  me  if 
you  are  to  preach  for  him  on  Monday,  and  if  so,  I  shall  come 
out  and  join  you.  Possibly  I  may  get  out  on  Sabbath  night. 
Did  we  not  first  become  acquainted  by  my  coming  out  in  that 
way?  I  remember  "His  locks  are  bushy  and  black  as  the 
raven."1  We  walked  home  on  the  Monday.  We  inquired 
ages.  You  were  twenty-eight  ;  I  was  a  little  older ;  and  you 
looked  as  if  you  thought,  "  How  much  I  shall  have  done  ere 
I  be  as  old  !  "    These  are  reminiscences.'2 

Even  in  these  pensive  moods  and  days,  he  could  write 
thus  to  his  friend  : — 

i  I  found  my  work  easy  on  Saturday,  and  had  help  and 
buoyancy  yesterday.     So,  thanks.     Last  Monday  I  was  out 

with .     It  was  his  communion.     He  is  an  "  olive  green  in 

the  house  of  our  God."  All  about  seems  to  prosper.  Even 
the  dog,  Watch,  is  an  honest,  happy-looking  beast ;  and  the 
little  olive  plant  is  sprouting  up  most  luxuriantly.  We  remem- 
ber you  when  we  meet.' 

A  few  brief  extracts  from  letters  written  about  this  time 
may  come  in  here,  as  forming  a  link  between  this  chapter 
and  the  following  : — 

'  I  wish  you  could  give  me  some  idea  of  your  exercises  of 

1  The  text  of  Mr.  Somerville's  sermon. 

2  In  June  II,  1S50,  he  thus  writes  to  Mr.  Millar  of  Clunie,  invit- 
ing him  to  his  communion : — '  We  know  one  another,  and  therefore  it 
is  pleasant  and  profitable  to  labour  together ;  for  I  always  find  that 
on  such  occasions  the  dew  comes  down.  We  are  the  two  persons  that 
have  most  interest  in  that  congregation  ;  and  if  at  this  time  the  Lord 
enables  you  to  come,  then  let  us  engage,  in  the  grace  of  the  Lord,  that 
we  shall  be  of  one  mind  in  seeking  very  great  blessing.' 


136  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

mind  during  seasons  of  acute  pain.  It  seems  a  severe  trial  to 
lie  hour  after  hour  in  a  state  of  suffering.  It  seems  to  me  the 
only  support  is  to  feel  that  we  are  then,  through  Jesus,  present- 
ing our  body  a  living  sacrifice,  and  trying  to  gloflfy  God  in  the 
fires.  One  cannot  also  help  thinking  of  the  lost,  who  have  no 
hope.  It  seems  to  me  that  acute  and  long-continued  pain, 
graciously  borne,  is  the  most  effectual  instrument  for  softening 
the  heart,  and  making  us  willing  to  depart.  What  could  the 
whole  world  do  for  us  in  the  way  of  making  us  glad,  when  we 
are  in  a  state  of  bodily  anguish  ?    .     .     . 

'  There  was  a  thought  given  me  last  night  when  I  was  speak- 
ing with  some  young  people  :  "  Their  bodies,  being  still  united 
to  Christ,  do  rest  in  their  graves."  Our  dearest  friends  soon 
grow  weary  of  our  bodies  when  life  is  gone,  and  put  them  away; 
but  Jesus  holds  them  fast.  Corruption  does  not  make  Him  let 
go  His  hold.  And  then  I  thought  that  a  dead,  corrupt  soul  is 
more  loathsome  than  a  dead  body  ;  and  yet  Jesus  comes  and 
takes  hold  of  us  when  we  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins. 
He  sees  not  what  we  were,  or  what  we  are,  but  what  we  shall 
be  when  He  has  formed  us  both  body  and  soul  to  show  forth 
His  praise.     .     .     . 

'  We  are  very  happy  and  comfortable  here.  But  I  want  to 
be  a  pilgrim  and  sojourner,  and  hang  loose.  We  should  live 
as  at  a  day's  warning,  and  this  should  not  seem  hard.     .     .     . 

'  I  feel  your  thoughts  on  the  family  very  sweet.  They  are 
given  you  by  the  Lord,  and  you  must  not  be  surprised  if  some- 
times I  give  to  others  what  you  have  been  the  means  of  giving 
to  me.  Let  us  long  and  labour  for  the  gathering  and  complet- 
ing of  that  blessed  company.  What  love,  what  joy,  what  songs 
will  be  there  !  Some  we  loved,  and  still  dearly  love,  are  there 
already,  and  we,  through  grace,  shall  soon  join  them.     .     .     . 

'  We  are  wonderfully  made,  and  we  must  take  care  of  our 
bodily  as  well  as  spiritual  health.  I  think  nothing  gives  me 
refreshing,  strengthening  rest,  but  trying  to  open  my  heart  to 
take  in  the  glory  and  love  of  the  Lord.  That  fills  the  heart, 
and  is  the  bread  which  satisfies.'    .    .     . 


BR  0  THERL  Y  CONS  OLA  TION.  1 3  7 

Mr.  Milne  had  done  good  work  and  true  in  Perth  dur- 
ing the  first  thirteen  years  of  his  ministry.  He  was  to  do 
more  of  such  work  again  during  his  last  ten  years.  But. 
between  these  two  periods  there  was  to  be  an  interval, 
which  he  had  little  counted  on.  There  was  work  of 
another  kind  to  be  done  elsewhere. 

Perhaps  it  was  during  these  times  of  sorrow  that  he 
learned  to  be  the  comforter,  and  to  enter  more  deeply 
into  the  sorrows  of  his  flock  and  friends.  The  following 
letters,  or  fragments  of  letters,  written  in  different  years, 
are  thrown  together  here,  as  illustrations  of  his  dealings 
with  the  sorrowful.  They  require  no  introduction  nor 
comment. 

'  Free  St.  Leonard's  Manse,  Perth,  ^d  April  i860.  —  My 
dear  Brother, — We  got  your  note  this  morning  at  break- 
fast, and  at  once  feared  what  was  true.  We  were  with  you 
in  your  waiting  on  the  Lord,  when  as  yet  you  knew  not  what 
might  be  His  will ;  and  now  we  are  with  you  when  you  are  say- 
ing, though  with  tears,  "  It  is  well  with  the  child  ;  good  is  the 
will  of  the  Lord."  I  do  not  know  who  told  me  the  story  ;  but 
a  gardener,  in  Wales  somewhere,  tended  carefully  a  favourite 
flower,  perhaps  was  a  little  proud  of  it.  The  owner  of  the 
garden,  one  day  walking  through,  espied  the  flower,  plucked 
it,  and  put  it,  for  beauty  and  for  pleasure,  in  his  bosom.  A 
friend  of  the  gardener's,  observing  the  blank,  said,  "  Where's 
the  flower  ? "  "  The  master  took  it,"  said  the  gardener.  Give 
Him  thanks,  dear  friend,  that  you  have  begun  to  take  infeft- 
ment  of  heaven ;  and  let  Rachel  be  comforted  with  the  thought 
that  your  little  Andrew  will  come  again  to  his  own  borders, 
and  will  be  found  in  his  place  when  the  home  circle  is  again 
complete.  I  think  I  have  noticed  that,  when  the  Lord  took 
away  something  that  I  valued  greatly,  He  always  gave  me 
souls  in  return.     One  very  special  case  I  could  mention ;  but 


138  LIFE  OF  RE  V.  JOHN  MILNE. 

we  can  talk  of  it  when  you  see  how  many  Peters  will  be  given 
you  in  the  room  of  your  little  Andrew.  May  we  both  find,  next 
Sabbath,  a  quickening  and  growing  time  !  Sabbath  week  I 
was  at  Collace.  I  am  trying  not  to  do  anything,  or  go  any- 
where, but  at  the  bidding  of  the  Lord.  He  opened  the  door  to 
my  old  resort,  so  I  went  and  took  all  the  services.  It  was 
pleasant  to  remember  and  speak  much  of  you  at  the  old  fire- 
side, and  then  to  pray  for  you  in  your  family  trial.  I  enjoyed 
the  day's  work  very  much.  Old  Mrs.  Reid,  before  I  came 
away,  said,  "  There  is  no  such  man  in  the  world  as  Mr.  Bonar. 
Wherever  I  go,  everybody,  old  and  young,  loves  him  more  than 
I  can  tell ;  and  how  did  he  contrive  to  be  always  among  them, 
and  always  working?"  But  good-bye. — With  much  love  to  Mrs. 
Bonar,  believe  me,  very  affectionately  yours, 

'John  Milne.' 

1  Free  St.  Leonard's  Manse,  Perth,  \7tI1  October  1864. — My 
very  dear  Andrew,— We  are  all  greatly  grieved  and  startled 
by  the  intimation  of  this  morning.  We  thought  that  all  was 
going  on  well ;  and  she  was  always  so  healthy,  we  never 
dreamt  of  such  a  blow  as  this.  I  feel  stunned,  and  sad  at 
heart,  for  you  know  the  old  and  tender  friendship  and  love. 
None  on  earth  can  comprehend  the  sorrows  of  your  heart,  and 
none  on  earth  can  fill  up  the  blank  and  void ;  but  you  know 
well  who  can  do  both,  and  that  He  is  not  far  off  nor  uninte- 
rested, but  has  already  made  provision  both  for  the  present 
and  future  trial.  One  almost  welcomes  these  breaches,  just  to 
see  how  skilfully  He  repairs  ;  one  almost  welcomes  these  tears, 
just  to  see  how  tenderly  He  wipes  them  away.  "  I  was  dumb, 
I  opened  not  my  mouth,  because  Thou  didst  it."  "  The  Lord 
gave,  and  the  Lord  taketh  away ;  and  blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord."  That  is  one  side  ;  but  there  is  another.  "  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you ; "  and  is  He  not  doing  it  ?  Your 
house  is  less  home-like  to-day;  but  is  not  heaven  become  more 
so  ?  You  are  now  a  divided  family,  and  you  know  which  part 
is  safest  and  happiest     Don't  you  long  for  the  gathering  to- 


LETTERS  OF  COMFORT.  139 

gether,  and  the  rest,  and  the  "  no  more  death,  nor  sorrow,  nor 
crying?"  It  will  be  a  sorrowful  communion  week,  but  many 
will  be  praying  for  you.  I  should  have  liked  to  come  through, 
if  it  had  been  only  to  shake  hands  and  say,  "  The  Lord  help 
you,  brother ;  the  Lord  be  *the  guide  of  your  motherless  chil- 
dren." But  I  am  tied  up  this  week,  and  cannot  get  away. 
We  all  unite  in  much  sympathy. — Believe  me,  very  affection- 
ately yours,  '  John  Milne.' 

'  Free  St.  Leonard's  Afytise,  Perth,  16  th  October. — My  very 
dear  Andrew, — Mrs.  Stuart  of  Annat  is  living  with  us  just 
now ;  and  last  night,  as  we  all  sat  together,  we  were  remem- 
bering that  this  is  about  the  time  of  your  great  sorrow.  I 
know  well  that  it  is  only  the  Elder  Brother  that  can  bind  up 
the  broken  heart  and  satisfy  the  longing  soul.  But  I  know 
that  you  do  not  undervalue  the  sympathy  and  prayers  and 
much  love  of  the  younger  brethren.  Let  me  tell  you  a  little 
incident  that  will  cheer  you.  There  has  been  a  little  ingather- 
ing at  Rait  through  Moody  and  his  sons.  A  young  man, 
Clarke,  is  one  of  the  number.  He  says  he  was  your  Sabbath 
scholar  at  Collace,  though  the  family  did  not  come  to  the 
church.  You  visited  the  house  one  day,  and  spoke  to  the  boy. 
You  said  to  him  : 

' "  Did  you  ever  read  the  Bible  from  beginning  to  end?" 

1  He  answered,  "  Na,  sir ;  it's  sae  lang." 

'  You  said  :  "  But  if  you  had  a  friend  in  America,  and  he 
were  to  send  you  a  nice  long  letter,  would  you  read  it  all  ?" 

1 "  Oh,  yes ;  every  word,"  said  the  boy. 

'  He  now  says  he  never  forgot  this ;  it  made  him  uneasy  ; 
but  now  it  is  his  guide,  and  the  word  of  God  is  the  lamp  to  his 
feet.  He  was  asked  to  take  part  in  the  meeting,  but  he  drew 
back,  saying,  "  I  dinna  ken  grammar." 

'  But  young  Moody  said  :  "You  have  what  is  more  useful : 
grace  is  better  than  grammar." 

'  But  good-bye.  I  ask  myself,  Why  are  you  so  different 
from  Andrew  Bonar  in  home  comforts  ?     But  time  is  short,  as 


140  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Paul  said,  who,  you  think,  was  a  widower  himself.  Love  to 
Miss  Bonar  and  the  infantry,  especially  the  Benjie, — much 
love. — Yours  very  affectionately,  'John  Milne.' 

'Free  St.  Leonard's  Manse,  Plrth,  igtk  Oct.  1866.— My 
very  DEAR  Andrew, — I  don't  know  how  to  thank  you  enough, 
both  for  Barbara  and  myself,  for  all  your  kindness  and  help- 
fulness in  this  time  of  trial.  Your  notes  were  a  great  support 
to  us,  and  the  mindful  observant  Master  will  remember  in  that 
day.  Give  our  many  thanks  to  the  gjaying  bands  for  all  their 
mindfulness  and  prayers.  It  has  been  a  time  of  exceeding 
suffering ;  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  really  knew  pain  before. 
We  both  look  back  with  wonder,  and  almost  trembling  of 
heart,  upon  the  ten  or  eleven  days,  and  especially  sleepless 
nights,  of  ceaseless,  crushing  agony.  But  the  Lord  was  very, 
very  kind.  I  think  He  has  taught  me  many  lessons,  which  He 
will  never  let  me  forget.  I  am  still  very  weak,  slowly,  surely 
regaining  strength.  I  think  I  am  enabled  growingly  to  leave 
all  in  the  Master's  hand,  and  to  say  in  truth  and  love,  Not  my 
will.  It  is  very  sweet  to  feel  that  we  are  His,  and  that  He 
careth  for  us  with  such  a  wise,  constant,  tender  care.  Dear 
Andrew,  I  thought  for  a  little  that  I  was  to  get  the  start  of  you 
in  the  race  to  the  sepulchre.  One  thing  will  interest  you,  I 
remember  it  quite  distinctly.  You  know  that,  like  you,  I  would 
like  to  live  to  welcome  the  Master  back ;  and  yet  I  recollect 
that  when,  on  recovering  consciousness,  I  said  to  Barbara  this 
is  the  end,  and  thought  it  really  was,  I  felt  no  discomposure, 
no  disquiet,  no  regret  at  the  disappointment  of  my  desire  and 
hope.  Tell  Horace,  when  you  go  to  the  opening  of  the  new 
sanctuary,  that  I  shall  be  with  you  in  spirit,  praying  that  the 
glory  and  power  may  fill  the  place,  and  that  the  Lord  may 
make  them,  and  the  places  round  about  His  hill,  a  blessing, 
giving  the  rain  in  its  season,  and  sending  showers  of  blessing. 
Love  to  all  my  friends  in  India  Street.  B.  and  all  of  us  join  in 
best  wishes. — Believe  me,  yours  affectionately, 

'John  Milne.' 


LETTERS  OF  COMFORT.  141 

To  Mrs.  Moody  Stuart,  after  the  death  of  her  son  : — 

'  Free  St.  Leonard's  Manse,  Perth,  Nov.  gt/i,  1866. — My 
VERY  DEAR  Jessie, — It  was  so  kind  of  Moody  to  write  to  me 
before  the  Communion.  Kindly  tell  him  that  I  was  graciously 
kept  from  all  thought,  and  enabled  to  enjoy  the  quiet  season 
very  greatly.  The  suffering  for  many  days  and  nights  was 
very  fearful ;  but  B.  and  I  look  back,  and  feel  that  it  was  a 
continual  communion.  We  can  truly  say,  that  the  Lord  is  a 
very  present  help  in  time  of  trouble. 

'  And  now  I  trust  that  the  Lord  is  dealing  very  kindly  with 
you  all,  and  filling  up  the  blank  in  house  and  heart  with  His 
own  gracious,  constant  presence,  and  giving  you  sweet  thoughts 
of  the  blessedness  of  him  who  has  gone  before.  A  favourite 
thought  of  mine  is,  that  when  Jesus  says,  "  I  go  to  prepare  a 
place  for  you,"  He  means,  that  often  this  preparation  consists 
in  taking  our  best  and  dearest  there  before  us.  He  im- 
poverishes the  earthly  home  to  make  a  heavenly  home.  I 
am  sure  it  is  more  easy  now  for  you  all  to  set  your  hearts  on 
things  above.  Happy  Andrew !  Like  James,  he  has  soon 
got  his  discharge,  and  been  called  up  higher ;  he  has  been 
called  away  from  the  cross,  the  bitter  cup,  and  the  trial  upon 
trial  which  accumulate  so  sadly  when  the  journey  is  pro- 
longed. I  am  sure  that  you  and  Moody  must  be  thankful 
now  that  he  had  made  proof  of  his  ministry,  both  in  public 
and  in  private,  ere  he  was  taken  to  his  rest.  He  has  not 
lived  in  vain  ;  and  as  time  passes,  you  will  learn  this  more  and 
more.  He  has  not  died  in  vain.  You  cannot  tell  what  lessons 
it  has  taught,  what  influence  it  has  exerted.  Let  us  thank 
God,  and  take  courage.  The  Lord  will  come,  and  bring  all 
our  dear  ones  with  Him.  Love  to  dear  Moody,  and  a  happy 
Sabbath.  Love,  united  and  warm,  to  all  the  rest.  You  know 
who  says,  "  Be  of  good  cheer,  it  is  I."— Your  very  affectionate 

'John.' 

1  Free  St.  Leonard's  Manse,  July  15,  1867. — My  very  dear 
Andrew, — We  both  thank  you  very  much  for  your  loving 


142  LIF£  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

note.  Since  we  heard  of  the  going  home,1  we  have  been 
thinking  and  speaking  and  praying  for  you  all,  especially  the 
widow.  I  have  been  thinking  often  of  heaven  since  I  heard  it. 
This  morning  I  awoke  from  a  deep,  sweet  sleep  with  the  word 
in  my  mouth,  "His  name  shall  be  on  their  forehead."  It  seemed 
as  if  it  had  been  the  answer  to  the  inquiry,  "  How  shall  we 
know  the  multitudes  whom  we  shall  meet  there,  but  whom  we 
have  never  known  in  the  flesh  ?"  I  think  of  your  brother  as  one 
of  the  most  unblameable  characters  I  ever  knew.  He  always 
seemed  as  a  father  among  you,  looking  so  benevolent,  and 
taking  a  quiet  placid  interest  in  all  that  was  going  on.  You 
have  been  a  very,  very  happy  family ;  and  now  that  the  circle 
is  breaking  up  on  earth,  and  that  long  dear  1 5  York  Place  will, 
I  fancy,  be  left  desolate,  the  family  circle  is  re-forming  above, 
never  more  to  be  broken.  My  young  friends  will  feel  this  very 
much,  especially  James.  Give  our  love  and  sympathy,  and 
take  it  to  yourself,  dear  brother,  for  I  know  the  hidden  wound 
bleeds  afresh.  The  Comforter  be  with  you  in  His  own  blessed, 
effectual  way.  B.  joins  me  in  much  love,  and  believe  me,  ever 
very  affectionately  yours,  'JOHN  MlLNE. 

1  P.S. — B.  asks  me  to  say  to  you  :  "  Thy  brother  shall  rise 
again."  I  hope  to  be  with  you  in  heart,  though  not  in  presence, 
when  you  go  to  God's  acre.  May  we  both  get  what  William 
Burns  got  when  he  went  with  his  uncle's  remains  to  the 
churchyard.' 

In  after  years,  we  find  his  chastenings  leading  to  such 
utterances  as  the  following : — '  Weary,  but  turning  to 
Christ.'  Again  :  '  O  my  Lord,  I  desire  to  put  away  all 
these  grave-clothes  of  unbelief,  and  to  walk  with  assurance 
of  the  perfect  love  which  casteth  out  fear;'  and  'The 
chief  hindrances  of  spiritual  growth  are  want  of  spiritual 
diligence,  conformity  to  the  world,  and  power  of  unbelief.' 

His  trials  told  permanently  upon  his  spiritual  growth. 
1  The  death  of  my  brother  James,  July  nth,  1S67. 


SKILFUL  CONSOLATION.  143 

They  were  life-long  blessings.  He  was  calm  under  them ; 
so  calm  that  he  could  converse  about  them  freely.  After 
the  death  of  his  wife,  to  whom  he  was  fondly  attached,  he 
was  able  to  speak  of  her  death-bed  from  the  pulpit,  and  to 
narrate  her  happy  departure.  His  skill  in  comforting  the 
bereaved,  in  dealing  with  the  sick,  in  calming  the  troubled 
was  great.  His  words  were  not  spoken  at  random ;  he 
could  suit  his  texts  or  counsels  admirably ;  while  his  tone 
and  manner  were  so  kindly  and  winning  that  he  was  fitted 
to  be,  above  many,  a  friend  in  the  day  of  adversity,  whose 
very  face  spoke  consolation,  and  bid  the  mourner  be  of 
good  cheer. 

If  he  met  any  one  in  mourning,  he  almost  invariably 
went  up  and  spoke  to  them  some  kind  and  suitable  words, 
such  as :  '  I  see  you  are  in  distress ;'  or,  '  You  have  lost 
some  near  relative ;  I  sympathize  with  you,  and  so  does 
Christ.'  Many  interesting  meetings  he  has  had  in  this 
way ;  some  of  them  with  careless  people,  who  were  struck 
with  his  message  of  love,  and  some  with  Roman  Catholics, 
who  listened  eagerly,  and  invited  him  to  their  house.  The 
bow  was  drawn  at  a  venture,  but  the  archer  found  that  the 
arrow  had  reached  its  mark.  Some  of  these  casual  mes- 
sages are  known  to  have  given  comfort  to  the  heavy  heart. 
'  A  good  word  maketh  it  glad  '  (Prov.  xii.  25). 


CHAPTER  X, 

1853- 

THOUGHTS    OF    INDIA,  AND   CORRESPONDENCE   ABOUT   IT. 

TO  the  loneliness  of  feeling  produced  by  the  death  of 
wife  and  children,  we  may  trace  his  first  thoughts 
of  India.  The  following  sentences  will  show  this,  and  will 
help  to  connect  the  last  chapter  with  the  present.  Link 
after  link  was  broken,  till  at  last  he  felt  as  if  he  could 
remain  no  longer  amid  this  desolation  :x — 

'  My  little  boy  promises  now  to  live  (he  writes  to  Mr.  Somer- 
ville) ;  and  his  little  face  begins  now  and  then  to  peep  up  in 
my  heart,  as  I  trudge  along  solitary,  alone.' 

Again,  to  the  same  : — 

'  I  found  my  dear  little  boy  very  weak  and  prostrate.  It  was 
agreed  to  move  him  back  to  Annat  Lodge ;  and  so  they  all 
went  off,  and  left  my  house  and  heart  very  desolate.     As  I  sat 

1  The  weight  of  his  own  sorrows  quickens  his  pastoral  sympathies, 
and  thus  he  writes  to  Mr.  Somerville  : — 'May  we  have  a  good  day 
to-morrow.  I  am  preaching  on  Ps.  xlvi.  10 :  "Be  still,"  etc.  The 
last  mail  from  the  east  and  west  has,  during  the  week,  put  four  fami- 
lies in  mourning — two  for  sons ;  one  for  a  son-in-law  ;  and  one  for 
a  brother.  I  have  very  lately  had  some  old  and  young  departing  in 
a  sweet  and  blessed  state.     How  it  sweetens  the  rod  I' 


THOUGHTS  OF  INDIA.  r.tf 

amid  the  emptiness,  I  felt  as  if  I  could  enjoy  a  good  hearty  cry, 
but  was  afraid  to  begin,  as  I  did  not  know  where  I  might  end  ; 
the  prayer-meeting  to-night  helped  me  a  little.  I  am  trying 
neither  to  have  thought  nor  desire ;  but  just  to  wait  on  the 
Lord.' 

Again,  to  the  same  : — 

'  I  was  with  you  about  this  time  last  year,  and  remember  all 
your  kindness,  and  the  good  I  got  from  it.  But  I  am  changed 
since  then  ;  and  the  world  seems  changed,  and  this  place  is 
changed.  Yet  there  is  not,  I  think,  bitterness,  but  thankfulness 
for  the  Lord's  kindness  to  one  who  loved  me.' 

Then,  in  a  letter  to  Collace,  he  says  : — 

'  I  must  not  any  longer  hide  from  you  what  is  in  my  heart. 
Nor  can  I  any  longer  want  your  prayers  and  counsel.  I  think 
the  Lord  is  drawing  my  heart  to  India.  It  is  more  than  pos- 
sible that  you  will  have  to  write  "  Calcutta,"  instead  of  "  Perth." 
The  thing,  as  yet,  is  only  in  embryo.  You  will  ask  guidance 
for  me.' 

Lastly,  in  a  letter  to  myself,  he  says  at  last : — 

'  I  am  engaged  to  go  to  India  ;  and  this  brought  about  by 
dealings  in  my  lot,  my  soul,  and  a  number  of  little  linked 
circumstances  that  look  very  like  the  work  of  God.' 

The  insight  which  these  five  scraps  give  us  into  the 
heart  of  the  man,  the  Christian,  the  father,  the  husband, 
the  pastor,  is  touching ;  and,  besides,  they  supply  the  key 
to  what  follows.  He  had  now  set  his  face  to  the  foreign 
field  of  labour,  and  from  this  time  he  says,  in  a  letter  to 
myself,  '  My  mind  has  never  wavered.  Yet  in  simplicity 
I  am  in  the  Lord's  hand,  though  I  fear  there  would  be 
more  of  the  cross  in  staying  than  in  going? 

He  was  not  long  in  divulging  his  purpose.     He  entered 


146  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


without  delay  into  a  correspondence  with  Dr.  Duff  and 
Mr.  Hawkins;  who,  disappointed  and  almost  despairing 
because  of  many  failures,  were  thankful  beyond  measure 
at  the  prospect  of  obtaining  such  a  labourer  for  Calcutta. 

But  opposition,  as  might  have  been  expected,  arose. 
His  people,  full  of  warmest  affection,  set  themselves  against 
it.  They  thought  their  own  claims  to  be,  if  not  first  in 
importance,  at  least  foremost  in  every  other  respect. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  1853,  Mr.  Milne  had  preached 
on  the  text,  ' Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do?'  He 
spoke  strongly,  though  in  general  terms  as  yet.  'The 
ministers  keep  their  Master's  commission  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature  folded  up,  or  only  referred  to 
when  some  one  obeys  it,  and  a  new  victim  is  laid  on  the 
missionary  altar.  We  are  too  fond  of  clustering  round 
the  honey-cells  of  home;  deaf  to  the  death-groan  of 
India's  perishing  millions.' 

His  people  were  startled.  A  rumour  went  out  that  Mr. 
Milne  was  minded  to  leave  Perth,  and  offer  himself  for 
missionary  work  in  India.  The  office-bearers  conferred 
privately;  appointed  two  of  their  number  to  wait  on 
him ;  ascertained  the  truth  of  the  report ;  had  a  meeting 
of  elders  and  deacons  called,  who  with  one  accord  agreed 
to  entreat  him  to  remain,  offering  such  reasons  as  the 
following.  They  could  not  see  that  such  a  translation 
was  for  the  greater  good  of  the  Church ;  they  thought  that 
the  Lord's  command  to  go  unto  all  nations  was  to  be 
understood  under  limitations ;  that  Perth  and  Scotland 
presented  an  ample  field  for  a  minister ;  that  Mr.  Milne's 
present  charge  (now  for  thirteen  years  so  successfully  oc- 


MR.  GRAYS  DISSUASIVES.  147 


cupied),  with  its  900  communicants,  and  crowded  church, 
would  be  endangered  by  his  leaving ;  that  his  fitness  for 
the  Indian  field  was  very  doubtful,  especially  at  his  time 
of  life.  This  was  on  the  nth  January  1853.  On  the  15th 
of  the  same  month,  the  Young  Men's  Association  presented 
a  memorial,  considerably  briefer,  but  equally  urgent. 

Meanwhile  a  private  correspondence  had  been  going 
on  among  his  personal  friends ;  some  dissuading  him  from, 
others  encouraging  him  in,  his  purpose.  The  following 
letter,  from  his  friend  Mr.  Gray,  will  give  one  view  of  the 
subject, — not  a  very  gratifying  one  to  Mr.  Milne  : — 

ivjth  Dec.  1852. — My  dear  Friend, — On  the  whole,  I 
lean  every  day  more  and  more  to  the  opinion  that  there  is  no 
clear  call  \o  you,  and  that  you  ought  not  to  go.  My  reason  is, 
that  I  regard  it  as  very  doubtful  if  your  temperament  would 
accord  with  the  circumstances  in  which  you  would  be  placed.  .  . . 
You  must  beware  what  you  do.  It  is  an  immense  respon- 
sibility you  must  take.  The  Church  is  not  calling  you  to  go. 
Dr.  Duff  and  Mr.  Hawkins,  although  wishing  you  to  go,  are 
scarcely  calling  you  to  go.  What  if  you  go  without  any  call 
at  all  ?  It  was  no  unequivocal  movement  of  divine  providence 
that  set  this  business  agoing.  The  simple  fact  is,  that  you 
took  it  into  yoiir  head,  and  so  the  thing  began.  And  how  did 
you  come  to  think  of  it  ?  Why,  you  happened  to  be  in  a  low 
fit.  You  wanted,  naturally  and  properly,  to  get  out  of  it. 
Grant  was  off ;  Cumming  was  on  the  move  ;  why  should  not 
you  be  jogging  too  ?  And  was  not  Calcutta  the  very  place  r 
Catching  at  the  idea,  you  have  got  out  of  your  depression  for 
the  time. — Ever  yours,  most  affectionately, — Andrew  Gray.' 

The  above  is  rather  hard  on  Mr.  Milne ;  not  quite  fair 
to  him,  perhaps,  nor  making  due  allowance  for  his  trials. 
Yet  it  came  from  a  warm  and  true-hearted  friend. 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


The  following  contains  another  view  of  the  subject, 
though  in  some  respects  coincident  with  the  previous  : — 

'  Collace,  Ja,7i.  10,  1853. — Monday  evening. —  My  dear 
Brother, — It  may  be  that  my  affection  for  you,  and  the  sort 
of  melancholy  that  is  suggested  to  my  mind  by  the  idea  of 
Perth  without  you, — it  may  be  that  these  considerations  are 
influencing  my  judgment,  as  your  loneliness  may  have  in- 
fluenced yours.  Be  this  as  it  may,  you  want  me  to  state  how 
the  matter  now  looks  to  me.  Well,  then,  my  impressions 
continue  to  be  these  :  (1)  All  plans  originating  in  a  time  of 
despondency  are  to  be  suspected  prima  facie ; — there  is  so  little 
of  faith  in  low  spirits.  I  find  that  at  the  time  when  the  Spirit 
separated  Paul  and  Barnabas  for  a  mission,  they  were  vigorous 
and  full  of  work,  ministering  and  fasting,  publicly  and  privately, 
full  of  energetic  service.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  when  Elijah, 
in  low  spirits,  goes  to  the  desert,  and  then  to  Horeb,  he  is  sent 
back  again  ;  so  that  we  soon  find  him  sitting  on  Carmel  once 
more.  (2)  Your  thoughts  about  Calcutta  did  not  seem  to  me 
to  amount  to  a  call  made  upon  you  by  the  Spirit.  You  were  not 
bent  towards  Calcutta  by  any  great  and  preponderating  sense 
of  the  claims  of  that  field  over  all  others.  Was  not  your  feeling 
rather  one  of  merely  decided  admission  that  the  sphere  was 
important  beyond  doubt  ?  In  other  words,  you  thought  you 
felt  uprooted,  and  you  saw  you  might  as  well  be  planted  down 
in  Calcutta  as  anywhere  else.  Still,  was  this  a  drawing?  Is 
there  at  this  moment  a  drawing,  such  as  you  might,  from  its 
peculiar  strength  and  tenacity,  interpret  to  be  the  result  of  the 
Spirit  calling  you  with  a  Macedonian  cry?  The  brethren  with 
whom  I  met  to-day  prayed  for  you,  asking  "  counsel,"  that  you 
might  not  mistake,  and  "might"  (Is.  xi.  2),  that  you  may  exe- 
cute what  you  see  to  be  the  Lord's  will.  Perhaps,  on  the  whole, 
they  were  more  ready  than  I  to  admit  the  probability  that  our 
Master  may  have  made  use  of  your  very  loneliness  for  shutting 
your  eye  on  the  home  field,  and  opening  it  on  the  vast  fields 
of  India  j  for  no  one  felt  otherwise  than  that  Calcutta,  and  all 


ENCO  URA  GEMEN'l  S.  149 

connected  with  it,  is  of  very  peculiar  and  very  vast  importance ; 
and  that,  wereyott  there,  you  might  be  a  most  suitable  instru- 
ment for  the  work  there.  Whatever  be  the  result,  I  can  say 
of  you  as  Paul  could,  Phil.  i.  7  :  \%a  at  \v  rij  xxpoi'x.  (a,ov  and 
will  feel,  if  you  go,  that  I  am  more  a  pilgrim  than  before, 
waiting  for  our  "gathering  together  unto  Him.'" 

Again,  on  the  following  day,  Mr.  Bonar  adds  : — 

'  You  will  see  I  had  written  to  you  last  night,  fully  believing 
that  you  were  not  yet  decided,  and  so  suggesting  to  you  those 
aspects  of  the  matter  that  caused  me  to  feel  doubtful  in  regard 
to  it.  If  it  has  got  the  length  to-day's  note  seems  to  imply,  I 
shall  say  no  more,  but  shall  believe  that  the  Lord  has  over- 
ruled your  circumstances  to  bring  about  His  own  purposes  as 
to  Calcutta,  just  as  He  overruled  Stephen's  death  and  its 
results  to  scatter  messengers  over  many  lands.  May  He  be 
glorified,  whatever  becomes  of  His  instruments  !  May  souls 
be  won  to  Him  !' 

In  a  subsequent  note  to  Mr.  Milne,  Mr.  Bonar  says : — 

1 1  cannot  now  resist  the  feeling  that  you  have  been  guided 
almost  in  spite  of  yourself.  I  see  scenes  of  wide  usefulness 
rising  to  view,  if  the  Master  see  meet  to  carry  you  to  the  shores 
of  India,  and  already  some  have  been  struck  by  your  devoting 
yourself  to  the  cause.  My  brother  John  writes  that  it  was  in 
this  light  he  viewed  it ;  as  so  likely  to  suggest  self-denial  to 
ministers  settled,  so  to  speak,  on  their  lees.' 

And  it  was  in  this  spirit  that  afterwards  Mr.  Bonar  of 
Greenock  thus  wrote  to  him  : — 

'  Greenock,  Jan.  28,  1853. — My  dear  Brother, — I  felt  a 
strong  inclination  to  write  to  you  when  I  first  heard  from 
Andrew  that  you  thought  of  exchanging  Perth  for  Calcutta ; 
but  as  I  should  have  ministered  encouragement  and  congratu- 
lation rather  than  dissuasion,  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  pen 
even  a  few  lines  ; — first,  because  to  urge  you  to  persist  in  the 


150  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

resolution  to  which  you  have  been  so  strangely  led,  must  have 
looked  ungracious  and  harsh.  But,  second,  because  I  shrink 
from  doing  anything  to  countenance  a  project  that  involved  the 
removal,  to  an  immeasurable  distance,  of  a  friend  so  truly  and 
deeply  loved,  so  long  as  I  did  not  understand  that  your  mind 
was  conclusively  made  up.  From  what  took  place,  however, 
at  your  Presbytery,  I  can  gather  that  your  purpose  is  it  revoc- 
able ;  and  therefore,  though  it  be  with  mingled  and  conflicting 
feelings,  I  cannot  any  longer  refrain  from  assuring  you  that  \ 
rejoice  in  the  grace  that  has  been  given  you  to  serve  God  in  the 
path  you  mean  to  follow.  I  rejoice  in  your  purpose,  because, 
from  your  peculiar  temperament,  I  doubt  if  your  spirit  would 
soon  recover  its  edge  amid  the  tokens  of  desolation  which  your 
home,  no  longer  a  home,  presents.  Besides,  I  have  a  strong 
conviction  that  every  minister  of  Christ  should  vary  his  sphere 
of  labour,  if  in  his  power,  once  at  least  in  his  lifetime ;  and 
that,  in  our  Church,  the  pastor  has  too  much  overshadowed  the 
missionary  in  our  estimate  of  evangelical  labour  at  home.  Then 
you  have  chosen, — no, — in  "  blindness  "  have  been  conducted 
to  a  field  which,  in  the  highest  sense,  unites  promotion  with 
change ;  for,  indeed,  all  things  considered,  Calcutta  might  be 
viewed  as  a  centre  of  influence  with  which  no  other  that  we 
have  access  to  can  be  compared.  But,  above  all,  let  me  say 
— say  with  joy,  yet  humiliation — that  your  determination  fills 
me  with  delight,  as  setting  to  us  in  the  ministry,  who  have  too 
long  been  settled  on  the  lees  of  routine,  and  to  our  proba- 
tioners, so  devoid  of  enterprise  and  magnanimity  in  the  things 
of  Jesus,  an  awakening  example  of  devotedness  and  zeal  such 
as  our  Church  truly  needed,  but  which  I  had  wholly  despaired 
of  seeing.' 

I  give  these  as  specimens  of  the  way  in  which  Mr. 
Milne's  purpose  was  viewed  by  his  private  friends.  They 
show  the  difficulties  that  beset  him  on  every  side;  the 
arguments  which  were  presented  to  him  both  by  his  own 
flock  and  by  the  Christian  friends  in  whom  he  trusted 


THE  CALCUTTA  CALL..  151 

most.  But  '  none  of  these  things  moved  him.'  His  heart 
was  set  on  India.  For  it  he  could  leave  all  behind  him, 
and  hear  voices  saying,  'Are  we  not  your  flock,  whom, 
for  thirteen  years,  you  have  loved  and  fed?  And  are  we 
not  your  friends  and  brethren,  your  "  companions  and 
fellow-soldiers  in  the  Lord?"  And  are  these  not  your 
native  hills  and  streams  and  uplands  ?  And  do  not  your 
dead  lie  here, — wife  and  infants, — with  many  others  in 
the  churchyard,  your  children  in  Christ  Jesus?'  He 
could  answer  all  such  appeals  with,  '  I  must  go ;  the 
world  is  dying ;  India  needs  help ;  Calcutta  stretches  out 
her  hands ;  the  harvest  is  great,  and  the  labourers  are  few.' 

But  while  some  of  his  private  friends  hesitated  or  dis- 
suaded, weighing  his  purpose  in  Scottish  balances ;  while 
some  kept  silence,  afraid  of  interposing,  he  had  other 
correspondents  who  cheered  him  on,  reminding  him  of 
India  and  its  stupendous  claims. 

The  Calcutta  congregation  had  sent  home  a  most 
touching  and  urgent  letter,  signed  by  Dr.  Ewart,  and 
dated  April  7,  1852,  to  Dr.  Duff  and  Mr.  Hawkins* 
entrusting  to  them  the  responsibility  of  looking  out  for 
a  minister  in  Scotland.  It  concluded  with  making  men- 
tion of  the  prayers  which  were  going  up  for  good  success 
in  this  important  matter.  These  two  individuals, — too 
well  known  in  the  Church  and  throughout  the  world  to 
need  notice  or  eulogy  here, — took  up  the  matter  with  all 
earnestness,  commending  it  to  God,  and  casting  about 
for  some  one  who  would  go  out  in  the  spirit  of  an  apostle 
to  do  an  apostle's  work.  On  the  23d  of  November  1852, 
Mr.  Hawkins  received  the  following  letter : — 


152  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

1  My  dear  Mr.  Hawkins, — You  remember  my  little  boy, 
who  was  brought  to  my  house  a  fugitive  from  hooping-cough, 
the  night  you  kindly  came  to  me.  Poor  little  fellow  !  it  seems 
he  brought  the  seeds  of  the  disease  along  with  him ;  and,  after 
a  time,  he  sickened  and  died.  I  fear  I  have  not  managed  the 
affliction  so  well  as  I  might.  I  fear  I  have  fainted  under  it 
I  have  been  feeling  a  good  deal  like  a  tree  whose  roots  are 
loosened  and  have  no  earthly  hold,  or  like  a  ship  whose  moor- 
ings are  cast  off.  So  thoughts  have  been  rife  of  change  of 
scene  and  change  of  work ;  and  there  has  been  a  revival  of 
old  dreams  about  India,  which,  when  I  was  fairly  settled  down, 
and  prospered,  have  been  overlaid  and  forgotten.  The  ques- 
tion occurs,  After  having  laboured  part  of  my  life  at  home,  may 
it  not  be  intended  that  I  am  to  spend  the  remainder  in  the 
foreign  field  ?  I  believe  in  all  such  cases  the  right  course  is 
to  ask  the  counsel  of  a  judicious  Christian  brother.  It  has 
occurred  to  me  that  you  could  help  me  to  determine  whether 
these  thoughts  are  right  and  ought  to  be  cherished,  or  whether 
they  are  of  the  nature  of  a  present  temptation  and  to  be 
refused.' 

Of  Mr.  Hawkins'  reply  we  can  only  give  a  part : — 

*  Nov.  27,  1852. — My  dear  Mr.  Milne, — Words  would 
fail  to  express  what  I  felt  on  the  receipt  of  yours  of  the  23d. 
You  are  aware  that  Mr.  M'Kail  left  the  congregation  of  Cal- 
cutta some  time  ago  in  consequence  of  bad  health.  A  com- 
mittee was  sent  to  Dr.  Duff  and  myself  to  look  out  for  a  mini- 
ster. We  have  applied  to  more  than  one,  and  have  thought  of 
others  ;  but  in  every  instance  something  has  occurred  to  pre- 
vent the  presentation  of  a  call.  My  own  mind  has  been  much 
exercised  in  this  matter ;  but,  after  looking  in  one  direction 
and  another,  I  found  the  path  of  wisdom  to  be  in  standing  still 
and  keeping  it  before  the  Lord.  And  now  let  me  say,  as  I  can 
with  perfect  truth,  that  to  no  one  of  the  ministers  of  our  Church 
have  my  thoughts  been  directed  as  they  have  been  to  your- 
self.    A  recent  letter  from  Calcutta  constrained  me  to  open  my 


MR.  HAWKINS'  LETTER.  153 

mind  to  a  member  of  my  family,  and  to  say,  "  Would  that  I 
could  get  Mr.  Milne  for  that  congregation  !"  This  was  on  the 
day  on  which  your  note  was  written.  Hence  the  feelings  with 
which  it  was  received.  .  .  .  Should  you  ever  be  pastor  of 
the  flock  at  Calcutta,  you  will  find  a  congregation  very  much 
smaller  than  that  which  now  gathers  round  you  every  Sabbath, 
— in  fact,  a  mere  handful ;  and  even  among  these  few  you  will 
meet  with  worldliness,  and  much  that  your  spirit  will  mourn 
over.  On  the  other  hand,  you  will  find  a  few  choice  spirits 
there,  some  of  the  Lord's  dear  children,  who  will  give  you  a 
welcome  in  their  Master's  name,  and  uphold  your  hand  by 
much  prayer  to  God.  If  you  seek  to  be  a  partaker  in  mission- 
ary work,  there  is  plenty  of  that,  with  our  large  Missionary 
Institution,  in  the  heart  of  a  heathen  city.  Many  an  oppor- 
tunity will  be  found  of  preaching  in  your  own  tongue  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  But  no  man  will  do  more 
missionary  work  there  than  by  countenancing  the  mission  as 
pastor  of  the  flock,  and  by  leavening  the  congregation  with  the 
missionary  spirit.  It  is  this  which  I  so  much  long  for  in  that 
people.  Stir  up  the  people  there  to  think  much  about  the 
mission,  and  to  pray  for  it,  and  you  will  have  accomplished  a 
great  work  for  the  Lord.  There  is  another  aspect  in  which  I 
cannot  help  viewing  the  subject.  I  fear  there  are  many,  very 
many  of  our  ministers  that  shrink  from  the  very  thought  of 
India  as  a  field  of  labour.  But  let  a  minister  in  your  position, 
the  pastor  of  a  large  congregation,  volunteer  when  others  hold 
back,  and  let  your  people  as  freely  give  you  up  for  their  Lord's 
sake,  and  I  believe  it  would  go  far  to  break  up  the  apathy  0/ 
many.  It  may  be  the  will  of  the  Lord,  in  this  way,  to  proclaim 
an  alarm  in  our  Zion,  to  cause  many  an  eye  to  be  turned  to 
Himself,  inquiring, '  What  wilt  Thou  have  us  to  do  ?'  and  to  lead 
many  to  look  not  upon  a  parish,  a  town,  a  city,  or  even  Scot- 
land itself,  but  upon  the  whole  world  as  the  scene  of  evan- 
gelistic labour,  prescribed  and  pointed  out  by  infinite  love, 
not  merely  as  a  scene  to  which  the  whole  collective  Church  of 
Christ  is  to  come,  but  as  one,  also,  in  which  He  has  allotted  to 


154  TJFB  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

every  man  his  post  of  duty,  and  to  the  occupation  of  which 
every  man  must  be  willing  to  go  up  at  the  bidding  of  his 
Lord.' 

To  this  Mr.  Milne  replied  : — 

'  You  know  how  solemn  and  complicated  such  a  question  is. 
If  I  were  to  go,  I  should  look  forward  to  an  early  grave.  I 
am  sensible,  also,  that  though  feeling  at  present  as  if  uprooted, 
I  should  carry  with  me  many  broken  and  bleeding  roots  ;  yet 
I  really  do  not  think  that  personal  considerations  will  at  all 
enter  into  the  calculation.  I  think  a  minister  of  Christ  should 
stand  out  among  his  fellows  as  a  man  of  self-denial,  self- 
oblivion.' 

And  again  Mr.  Milne  writes  to  Mr.  Hawkins  on  the 
8th  of  December.  After  mentioning  that  he  had  consulted 
friends,  he  adds  : — 

1  If  we  could  but  see  the  mind  of  the  Lord  with  some  clear- 
ness, we  might  put  all  such  circumstances  aside,  because  He 
would,  in  His  own  way,  make  the  path  plain.  I  find  that  the 
more  I  keep  by  the  word  of  God,  and  reflect  upon  the  spirit  of 
the  first  preachers,  the  more  I  reckon  myself  as  one  that  is 
done  with  the  world,  and  with  all  contrivances  for  ease  and 
self-enjoyment ;  the  more  I  think  of  advancement  in  holiness, 
as  the  one  great  aim,  the  more  I  seem  to  feel  my  heart  inclined 
in  this  direction.  What  is  the  Master's  will  ?  I  feel  that  no- 
thing short  of  this  can  warrant  my  leaving  my  present  place, 
or  would  bear  me  up  amid  the  new  trials  I  calculate  on  meet- 
ing, and  the  occasional  seasons  of  heart-sinking  and  home- 
sickness.' 

Mr.  Hawkins  replies  to  this  at  considerable  length. 
His  letters  are  full  of  interest,  and  breathe  a  high  Chris- 
tian spirit.  But  it  is  impossible  to  quote  in  full  either  his 
communications  or  those  of  Dr.  Duff.     One  letter  of  the 


DR.  DUFFS  LETTER.  155 

latter,  however,  I  give  at  length,  as  it  specially  refers  to 
the  preceding  correspondence  with  Mr.  Hawkins : — 

*  Camberwell,  London,  i$th  Dec.  1852.  — My  dear  Mr. 
Hawkins, —  The  correspondence  between  yourself  and  Mr. 
Milne  of  Perth  I  have  perused  with  feelings  of  no  ordinary  in- 
terest. The  case  of  our  church  in  Calcutta  has  hung  heavily 
on  my  mind  since  May  last.  The  failure,  in  one  or  two  in- 
stances, in  obtaining  a  fitting  minister,  though  tantalized 
with  the  temporary  prospect  of  success,  and  the  non-discovery 
of  any  more,  at  once  qualified  and  willing  to  go,  throughout 
the  course  of  my  recent  travellings  in  the  north  and  west  of 
Scotland,  all  tended  to  produce  a  certain  feeling  of  despond- 
ency. And  so,  though  the  subject  has  been  constantly  present 
to  my  mind  in  prayer,  it  came  at  last  to  be  a  topic  of  peculiar 
urgency  at  the  throne  of  grace.  Looking  at  the  date  of  Mr. 
M.'s  first  note  to  you,  I  am  greatly  struck  with  the  coinci- 
dence, as  to  time,  between  its  heart  revealings  and  the  power 
of  utterance  to  which  I  was  prompted  in  prayer,  saying,  "  Lord, 
graciously  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  raise  up  the  man.  Put  it 
into  the  heart  of  the  man,  whom  Thou  dost  choose  to  disclose 
himself  to  us."  How,  then,  can  I  help  being  struck  at  the  un- 
prompted disclosures  of  the  inner  workings  of  his  mind  made 
in  Mr.  M.'s  first  note  ?  The  fact  is,  that  I  had  often  thought 
of  Mr.  Milne  as  the  man  for  Calcutta.  But  the  same  reasons 
which  appear  to  have  kept  you  back  prevailed  with  me  too. 
But  if  Mr.  M.,  as  before  God,  declare  his  own  mind  on  the 
subject,  as  Mr.  M'Donald  was  led  to  do,  the  thing  is  done. 
The  congregation  of  Mr.  M.,  and  the  Perth  Presbytery,  will  then 
not  have  to  consider  the  question,  Whether  we  have  succeeded 
in  making  out  a  case  for  Calcutta  sufficiently  strong  to  war- 
rant their  loosing  the  present  pastoral  tie, — but,  Whether  they 
feel  warranted,  before  God,  to  interpose  between  Mr.  M.  and 
the  following  out  of  the  conviction  of  his  own  mind,  as  to  the 
path  and  sphere  of  duty  ?  But  though  no  case  might  be  made 
out  to  satisfy  a  congregation  and  presbytery  at  home,  naturally 


r$&  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

biassed  171  their  own  favorer,  and  ignorant  of  the  peculiar 
claims  of  a  place  like  Calcutta,  a  very  strong  case  could  be 
made  out,  sufficient  to  satisfy  an  unbiassed  mind,  fully  ac- 
quainted with  the  relative  bearings  of  the  services  of  a  mini- 
ster in  Calcutta  and  Perth. 

'  In  Perth  there  are  other  four  Free  Churches,  and  some  very 
able  ministers  ;  and,  throughout  the  country,  churches  and 
ministers  in  abundance.  In  the  whole  of  Bengal  there  is  but 
one  Free  Church.  It  is  there  a  conspicuous  object ;  and  from 
the  character  of  its  ministerial  services  will  a  judgment  be 
formed  of  the  character  of  the  Free  Church  pulpit  in  Scotland. 
One  of  the  very  best  men  in  the  Church  ought,  therefore,  to  be 
plated  on  so  conspicuous  a  watch-tower.  Though  the  Calcutta 
congregation  be  numerically  smaller  than  that  of  Mr.  M.'s  in 
Perth,  I  must  solemnly  protest  against  estimating  the  import- 
ance of  any  charge  merely  by  numbers.  Account  ought  to  be 
taken  of  the  position  of  members  in  the  providential  order  of 
things,  and  their  power  of  influencing  others  for  good.  Now, 
in  this  respect,  the  members  of  a  church  in  Calcutta — at  least 
a  fair  proportion  of  them — occupy  a  position  in  which,  by  their 
conduct  and  example,  they  may  influence  myriads  around, 
favourably,  or  otherwise,  towards  the  gospel  of  salvation.  It 
is  impossible  to  exaggerate  the  importance,  in  this  respect,  of  a 
faithful  and  powerful  mainstay  of  the  gospel,  in  such  a  mighty 
focus  of  emanative  influence  as  Calcutta. 

'  Besides,  though  at  present  the  congregation  be  small,  it 
ought  not  to  be  forgotten  that,  as  a  mere  matter  of  fact,  it  is, 
from  circumstances  (which  are  well  known  to  you),  unhappily  a 
shattered  fragment  only  of  what  it  might  have  been,  and  what, 
under  a  minister  like  Mr.  Milne,  it  might  well  be  expected  soon 
to  become.  Besides  members  of  our  own  Church,  there  are 
always,  in  a  place  like  Calcutta,  not  a  few  who,  sitting  very 
loose  to  the  peculiarities  of  their  respective  systems,  would  be 
rejoiced  to  rally  round  a  man  who  really  fed  their  souls.  What 
an  incalculable  blessing,  in  this  respect,  would  an  experienced 
man  like  Mr.  Milne  become  to  many  !    What  a  strength  wouW 


LETTERS  TO  DR.   TWEED  IE.  157 

such  a  man,  and  such  a  congregation  as  he  would  be  sure  to 
gather  around  him,  prove  to  the  mission  cause  generally,  and 
especially  to  our  own  !  What  an  unspeakable  comfort  to  our 
converts  and  native  preachers,  and  candidates  for  the  ministry  ! 
How  far  and  wide,  alike  through  European  and  native  socitty, 
might  his  own  living  spirit  permeate,  diffusing  light  and  life 
amid  the  realms  of  darkness  and  of  death ! 

'  As  to  Mr.  M.'s  age,  he  should  not  think  about  it,  nor  his 
physical  frame  either.  The  present  Bishop  of  Calcutta  went 
out  at  the  age  of  fifty-five,  and  has  laboured  now  with  un- 
common vigour  for  twenty  years.  Mr.  M.'s  frame  may  not  be 
strong ;  but  I  am  not  aware  of  any  organic  ailment  in  it.  And 
if  not,  he  ought  not  to  consult  with  flesh  and  blood  in  such  a 
matter,  but  cast  himself  at  once  upon  the  Lord,  in  the  assur- 
ance that,  if  the  Lord  has  put  it  into  his  heart  to  go,  He  will 
accomplish  by  him  the  work  which  He  designs.  And  ought 
not  such  assurance  to  satisfy  any  loving,  and  obedient,  and 
dutiful  child  ? 

'As  to  Mr.  M'Donald,  I  can  testify  in  the  strongest  manner, 
that,  up  to  the  very  end,  he  felt  satisfied  that  in  going  to  Cal- 
cutta he  simply  yielded  to  a  divine  monition,  and  rejoiced  in 
having  so  done.  May  the  Lord  guide  our  friend  !  If  he  is  the 
man,  the  Lord  will  give  him  no  rest  until  he  decide  to  go.— 
Yours  affectionately,  '  Alexander  Duff.' 

After  this  there  followed  a  large  correspondence  between 
Mr.  Milne  and  the  brethren  connected  with  the  foreign 
field.  There  are  several  most  interesting  and  fervent 
letters  from  Dr.  Duff,  Dr.  Tweedie,  and  Mr.  Hawkins. 
But  as  they  do  not  contain  anything  material  beyond 
what  the  preceding  extracts  convey,  I  must,  reluctantly, 
withhold  them,  lest  I  should  swell  this  volume  unduly, 
and  introduce  matter  not  directly  illustrative  of  Mr.  Milne 
himself.  Some  parts,  however,  of  Mr.  M.'s  answers  to 
these  letters  may  be  given,  as  helping  us  more  accurately 


15 8  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

and  fully  to  understand  his  mind,  and  to  appreciate  his 
character,  in  its  true-hearted  devotion  to  his  Lord.  Thus 
he  writes  to  Dr.  Tvveedie,  on  the  23d  of  December  1852 : — 

'  I  think  I  may  tell  you  that  my  mind  is  fully  made  up.  I 
feel  that  the  Lord  has  gently  withdrawn  my  heart  from  the 
home  field,  and  is  now  making  it  to  embrace  India,  with  that 
calm,  settled,  vigorous  faith  and  hope,  which  I  have  always 
found  the  precursor  of  joyful,  useful  working.  .  .  .  I  am  quietly 
feeling  my  way,  and  endeavouring  to  prepare  my  brethren  and 
people  for  what  is  now  about  to  take  place.  I  have  a  fond, 
perhaps  over-sanguine,  hope  that  I  shall  be  able  to  carry  with 
me  their  acquiescence,  if  not  their  approval.  I  should  like  that 
the  hand  of  the  Lord  might  be  seen  and  acknowledged  in  the 
whole  matter,  and  that  our  parting  may  be,  in  sorrow  and  love, 
as  those  should  part  who  love  one  another  much,  but  who  love 
their  Lord  and  His  glory  more,  and  who  expect  soon  to  meet 
again  where  love  to  Him  can  be  fully  exercised  and  expressed, 
without  those  painful  severings  and  acts  of  self-denial.  I  have 
often  wondered  and  been  overwhelmed  when  I  think  of  the 
strange  and  overwhelming  prosperity  with  which  I  have  all 
along  been  favoured  here.  My  church,  from  the  very  com- 
mencement of  my  ministry,  down  to  the  present  moment,  has 
always  been  over-crowded.  My  people  have  been  strangely 
affectionate  and  attached.  There  is  a  very  large  number  of 
ripening,  zealous,  liberal  Christians  among  them ;  and  I  look 
back  to  veiy,  very  many  who  have  departed  in  peace,  often  in 
triumph,  and  of  whose  presence  with  the  Lord  I  have  the  fullest 
assurance.  My  office-bearers,  between  40  and  50  in  number, 
though  of  very  different  ranks  and  habits,  have  never  once  known 
what  debate  or  division  is,  but  have  lived  and  acted  in  a  most 
strange  love  and  harmony.  I  have  still  a  very  pleasant  home, 
though  its  light  is  now  quenched  and  its  ornament  gone.  I 
have  credit  for  a  kind  of  catholicity  of  spirit  with  the  other 
denominations,  and  I  have  always  had  abundant  and  welcome 
access  to  the  pulpits  of  my  brethren  in  several  of  the  surround- 


LETTERS  TO  DR.   TWEE  DIE.  159 

ing  counties.  The  bones  of  my  wife  and  children  are  here ; 
and  I  think  I  may  say  the  bones  of  not  a  few  whom  God  has 
given  me;  and  j^/,  I  think,  in  your  own  words,  that  the  pillar 
of  cloud  and  of  fire  has  arisen,  and  my  heart  bounds  to  follow. 
Your  allusion  to  ten  years  ago  brings  back  pleasant  and  sad 
memories.  At  that  time  I  thought  of  nothing  less  than  ever  being 
in  any  way  connected  with  India.  I  was  rushing  into  the  home 
work  as  the  horse  to  the  battle,  expecting,  like  many,  a  great  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Yet,  even  then,  I  had  a  strange 
impression  of  the  importance  of  Calcutta ;  and,  in  my  zeal,  often 
thought  and  said,  "  Oh  that  Mr.  Tweedie  saw  his  way  to  go  !  "' 

Thus  again  he  writes  to  the  same ;  but  now  it  is  as  to 
the  question  of  his  own  fitness  : — 

1  Leonard  Bank,  December  24,  1852. — My  dear  Brother, 
— I  have  been  reading  much  in  M'Donald's  life,  and  am  a 
good  deal  oppressed.  The  nature  and  importance  of  the 
Calcutta  position  is  opening  up,  and  becoming  more  vivid  and 
definite  to  my  mind.  There  is  but  one  Free  Church  minister  in 
Bengal — what  kind  of  man,  and  Christian,  and  minister  should 
he  be?  We  have  been  dealing  too  much  with  the  question,  Am  I 
willing?  There  is  another,  unspeakably  more  important,  Am  I 
fit?  Dear,  honoured  M 'Donald  was  a  noble,  holy  man  ;  I  am  a 
weak,  foolish,  sinful  child.  I  am  amazed  that  the  Lord  should 
have  made  me,  and  kept  me,  so  long  a  minister,  and  that  men 
have  borne  with  me  in  such  an  office.  Let  this,  therefore,  now 
be  the  matter  of  inquiry,  and  let  it  be  fully  and  honestly  dealt 
with.  Let  no  delicacy  to  me  stand  in  the  way;  we  can  have  no 
desire  but  for  the  right  filling  up  of  that  important  post.  A  man 
may  move  on  even  usefully  in  a  subordinate  place,  surrounded, 
supported  by  those  who  are  wiser,  better,  and  stronger  than 
himself,  who  would  lamentably  fail  when  isolated,  and  perhaps 
crushed,  by  the  exigencies  of  one  of  the  high  places  of  the  field. 
I  know  that  blessed  word,  "  My  grace  ; "  but  that  does  not 
iupersede  the  wise  adaptation  of  means  to  ends.  My  dear 
brother  in  the  Lord,  much  of  whose  mind  I  have  been  seeing 


160  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

to-night,  deal  honestly  and  fully  with  this. — Believe  me,  very 
affectionately  yours,  'John  Milne.' 

1  Leonard  Bank,  29th  December. — My  dear  Dr.  Tweedie, 
— I  was  favoured  with  your  prompt,  full,  and  heart-stirring 
letter.  I  see  the  Calcutta  kirk-session  is  a  mission  college ; 
and  if  the  Lord  sends  me,  He  will  find  some  niche  or  place 
where  I  may  labour  with  and  among  the  brethren.  It  is  a 
great  and  unlooked-for  felicity  the  thought  of  being  connected 
with  Dr.  Duff,  whom  I  so  greatly  admire  and  love.  Feeling 
deeply  the  solemnity  of  the  step  I  take, — for  the  issues  are 
known  only  to  the  Lord,  and  they  must  affect  eternal  interests, 
— I  yet  think  it  better  to  commit  myself,  both  as  a  means  of  re- 
lieving my  mind,  and  also  stopping  the  solicitations  of  my  dear 
friends,  such  as  Andrew  Bonar  and  George  Smeaton,  who  both 
say  they  are  thunderstruck.  Men  are  too  busy  at  present  to  be 
touched  much,  or  touched  long  by  anything  ;  so  this,  like  other 
things,  will  have  its  brief  day  among  my  friends,  and  then  pass 
by.  It  is  likely  there  will  be  opposition  from  my  brethren  in 
the  Presbytery.  The  objections  will  probably  be,  that  the 
movement  is  ultroneous  on  my  part ;  that  there  is  no  call  of  the 
Lord  or  the  Church.  Another  would  be,  that  neither  Dr.  Duff, 
nor  Mr.  Hawkins,  nor  yourself  know  me  sufficiently  to  be  able 
to  judge  of  fitness.  I  feel  that  my  two  last  notes  must  have 
given  you  at  least  considerable  insight  into  my  character. 
When  Moab  is  at  ease,  the  sediment  lies  at  the  bottom ;  but 
when  he  is  stirred,  it  comes  to  light.  You  have  seen  that  I 
am  sensitive,  sanguine,  impulsive,  prone,  when  the  Lord  loosens 
the  rein,  to  run  off  into  pride,  or  stumble  into  unbelief,  and  to 
pass  very  fast  from  the  one  sin  into  the  other.  It  is  a  sad  flaw 
in  the  earthen  vessel ;  yet  I  think  the  Lord  sometimes  makes 
it  an  inlet  to  self-knowledge,  and  an  outlet  for  His  power. 
Pray  for  me  that  I  may  be  much  helped  and  blessed  at  present, 
and  that  I  and  my  people  may  rejoice  in  the  Lord  alone.  This 
will  be  the  best  preparative  for  whatever  He  may  purpose. 
May  the  blessing  of  Him  who  dwelt  in  the  bush  dwell  with  you 
and  yours  ! — Very  affectionately  yours,  '  John  Milne.' 


OPPOSITION.  161 


The  matter  was  not  to  be  so  easy  as  he,  with  his  some- 
times too  sanguine  views  and  hopes,  at  one  time  thought. 
He  was  not  to  be  torn  from  Perth  without  protest.  His 
roots  had  struck  too  deep  and  spread  out  too  widely  to 
give  way  without  a  wrench.  He  awoke  at  last  to  the 
knowledge  of  this,  though  at  first  he  prophesied  smooth 
things.     Thus  he  writes  to  me  : — 

'  I  am  engaged  to  go  to  India,  and  this  brought  about  by 
dealings  in  my  lot,  my  soul,  and  a  number  of  little  linked  cir- 
cumstances, that  look  very  like  the  work  of  God.  But  the 
opposition  is  universal,  both  among  my  own  people  and  in  the 
town  and  neighbourhood ;  and  I  stand  alone  in  a  furnace  of 
delicate,  respectful,  earnest,  loving  solicitation.  This  has 
taken  me  by  surprise,  and  made  me  admire  the  exceeding 
kindness  of  God  to  man,  to  a  poor  unworthy  worm,  a  mere 
bubble.  Of  course  I  have  had  searchings  of  heart  and  in- 
quirings  arising  out  of  this  unlooked-for  expression  of  affection. 
Is  this  a  bar  in  my  way  ?  a  bar  of  love  ?  Or  is  it  a  trial,  to 
test  and  prove  ?  As  yet  I  have  held  to  the  latter,  and  my  mind 
has  never  wavered.  Yet  in  simplicity  I  am  in  the  Lord's  hand, 
though  I  fear  there  would  be  more  of  the  cross  in  staying  than 
in  going.  There  is  to  be  a  meeting  here  this  week  between 
some  of  our  Edinburgh  friends  and  a  deputation  of  my  office- 
bearers. I  trust  some  light  will  come  out  of  it.  Pray  for  me  ; 
for  if  I  stay  or  go  without  the  Lord,  it  will  be  a  great  mistake 
and  a  great  sin.' 

In  a  similar  way  he  writes  to  Mr.  Hawkins,  on  the  7th 
of  January  1853  : — 

'My  dear  Mr.  Hawkins, — I  was  favoured  with  your 
kind  note.  You  are  right.  This  affair  is  not  going  to  be  so 
simple  as  I  thought.  Yesterday  there  was  a  private  meeting 
of  office-bearers  and  friends ;  and  two  of  the  most  respected 
and  most  gracious  of  them  came  and  had  a  long  converse. 

L 


1 62  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

I  think  I  was  enabled  to  be  firm.  This  afternoon  my  dear 
friend  Mr.  Burns,  in  whom  I  have  much  confidence,  came, 
and  with  expressions  of  earnestness  and  affection,  dealt 
with  me.  I  think  he  left  with  the  impression  that  I  was 
unchanged.  To-night  there  has  been  a  meeting  of  elders  and 
deacons,  more  than  forty ;  and  a  deputation  has  just  been 
with  me.  I  am  still  free,  and  think  they  feel  that  my  mind 
is  unchanged.  On  Thursday  there  is  to  be  a  meeting  of 
the  congregation.  You  see,  my  dear  brother,  that  this  is  to 
be  martyrdom  ;  for  I  love  this  dear  people,  who  have  grown 
with  me,  borne  with  me, — we  have  been  often  very  happy 
together,  never  had  the  slightest  difference, — who  have  loaded 
me  with  benefits,  gifts,  and  kindness  ;  and  now  say,  "  Go  for  a 
year,  two  years,  but  do  not  break  the  tie."  I  know  you  will 
feel  for  me  in  this  trial.  We  must  fall  back  on  Him  whose 
will  shall  be  done.  I  dare  not  say  the  Lord  is  not  blessing  me 
here.  Some  new  cases  have  come  before  me  this  very  day ; 
and  a  man,  whom  I  had  given  up  for  a  while  as  hopeless,  has 
been  with  me  this  evening  ;  and  when  I  got  him  to  engage  in 
prayer  along  with  me,  I  found,  to  my  delighted  surprise,  that 
the  Lord  has  made  him  a  humble,  contrite,  waiting  child. 
Still  my  heart,  I  may  say  my  purpose,  is  unchanged  ;  but  it 
will  be  a  dreadful  trial,  because  I  dearly  love  them  all ;  and 
how  can  I  bear  to  seem  unkind,  and  harden  myself  against 
them  ?  If  it  be  the  Lord's  will,  you  know  He  will  bear  me 
through.  I  think  the  only  way  by  which  you  and  your  dear 
friend  can  help  me  is  by  prayer.  Ask  that  I  may  be  helped 
and  guided  in  my  public  and  private  intercourse  with  my 
people,  so  that  we  may  all  look  simply  to  the  Lord.  I  wish  to 
avoid  all  direct  allusions  to  the  subject,  and  just  try  to  keep 
myself  and  them  in  the  immediate  presence  of  Him,  where  the 
poor  creature  dwindles  and  disappears,  and  selfish  and  natural 
feelings  give  place  to  adoring  submission  to  His  blessed  will.' 

Again,    on    the    ioth    of   January,   he   writes    to    Mr. 
Hawkins : — 


HIS  CONGREGATION.  163 

'My  dear  Mr.  Hawkins,— Surely  the  Lord  is  in  this 
matter.  It  really  seems  as  if  clouds  arose  only  to  be  dispelled 
by  a  gracious  Lord.  I  was  a  good  deal  alarmed  when  I  wrote 
on  Friday  night.  Had  it  been  common  opposition,  I  could 
have  withstood  that ;  but  with  these  successive  waves  of  deli- 
cate, respectful,  earnest,  affectionate  solicitations,  I  was  afraid 
that  my  firmness  would  give  way.  On  Saturday  I  went  on  as 
usual  preparing  for  Sabbath,  and  was  almost  ready ;  but  toward 
evening  I  began  to  think  that  you  had  got  my  note,  and  were 
praying  for  me.  Then  a  passage  was  brought  before  my  mind. 
I  rose  and  looked  at  it,  and  saw  at  a  glance  that  it  was  just  as 
if  it  had  been  made  for  my  case.  I  thought  a  little  ;  it  opened 
up  ;  and  putting  away  what  I  had  prepared  for  the  afternoon, 
I  sat  down  and  began  to  write.  Easily,  speedily,  happily,  I 
went  on,  and  at  the  end  found  that  I  had  been  led  to  bring  out 
all  the  elements  and  principles  that  should  determine  my  con- 
duct and  that  of  my  dear  people.  Still  I  intended  no  special 
allusion ;   but  about  nine  o'clock,  a  note  came  down  from 

,  who  had  been  out  in  her  district,  and  had  heard  that 

there  was  warmth  in  some  quarters,  and  thought  I  might  ex- 
plain a  little.  I  sat  down  again,  and  prepared  a  statement. 
Yesterday,  between  sermons,  my  friends  came  in ;  but  they 
had  been  waylaid  coming  out  of  church,  and  were  completely 
staggered.  They  said  not  a  word,  and  would  not  so  much  as  by 
a  look  implicate  themselves.  I  went  to  my  room,  feeling  that 
I  was  quite  alone  ;  but  though  a  little  stunned,  not  discouraged. 
It  is  a  great  thing,  as  our  Church  court  men  say,  to  have  pos- 
session of  the  House.  Psalms,  prayer,  sermon,  prepared  the 
way,  and  then  I  opened  up  briefly  how  I  had  come  into  my 
present  position, — glancing  back  at  all  their  kindness,  my  own 
trials  in  lot  and  soul,  my  correspondence  with  you,  the  drawing 
of  my  heart  to  India,  and  my  engagement  to  go  there.  "And 
now,  what  will  you  do  ?  Would  you  have  me  draw  back  ? 
Would  you  withhold  me,  and  show  that,  while  ready  to  give 
some  things,  there  are  others  that  you  will  be  angry  if  they 
are  even  looked  at  ?    The  trial  has  come  to  you ;  let  it  only 


1 64  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

quicken  the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  making  you  desirous  to  know 
and  do  the  will  of  the  Lord  in  love  and  peace.  We  may 
differ  in  opinion ;  it  is  unavoidable  in  this  dark  world  ;  but 
we  are  still  one  in  heart  and  love."  And  so  on.  I  think  the 
Lord  was  with  us,  and  I  felt  that  I  carried  my  people,  though 
in  sorrow,  along  with  me.  I  scarce  know  how  I  could  have 
acted  as  I  did.  I  seem  like  one  who  has  leapt  over  a  fearful 
ravine  in  the  dark,  and  then,  when  he  looks  at  it  in  the  light, 
wonders  how  he  ventured  on  what  now  seems  so  impossible. 
How  the  cup  has  gone  round  !  First  you,  then  me,  now  my 
people  !  When  it  comes  to  my  brethren,  they  will  have  little 
to  do  ;  and  I  expect  a  good  scold  for  having  cut  the  tie,  instead 
of  waiting  till  they  loosened  it  in  due  Presbyterian  order.  How 
kind  and  gracious  is  my  condescending  Lord  !  Pray  for  me 
that  I  may  be  upheld.  I  feel  like  that  one  who  said,  "  Stay 
me  with  flagons,  comfort  me  with  apples ;  for  I  am  sick  of 
love."  The  deep  and  universal  regret  of  this  whole  town  and 
neighbourhood  at  the  thought  of  my  departure,  so  variously 
and  unequivocally  expressed,  quite  unmans  me,  and  lays  me 
in  the  lowest  dust.  I  am  learning  my  favourite  text :  "  They 
shall  fear  the  Lord  and  His  goodness  in  the  latter  days." 
There  is  only  one  thing  wanting  to  make  me  go  away  singing 
for  joy,  and  that  is,  to  see  my  dear  people  united  and  harmo- 
nious in  the  choice  of  my  successor.' 

Again  he  writes  to  Mr.  Hawkins  : — 

'  My  very  dear  Mr.  Hawkins, — I  am  favoured  with  your 
kind  note,  and  shall  be  at  the  station  on  Tuesday  evening  to 
welcome  you,  thankful  and  joyful  that  my  gracious  Lord  has 
given  me  such  a  friend  to  love  and  receive.  Things  are  going 
on  here  in  that  smooth,  happy  tranquillity,  which  I  suppose  is 
meant,  when  it  is  said,  "  I  will  give  peace  like  a  flowing  river." 
All  minds  and  hearts  seem  overawed,  or  overruled,  or  graciously 
turned,  so  that  neither  in  look,  word,  or  act,  has  there  been 
anything  to  pain  me.  On  Sabbath  the  6th,  Mr.  Dymock  and 
I  exchanged  in  the  forenoon,  and  he  served  the  edict.     In  the 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  DECISION.  165 


afternoon  and  evening  I  was  with  my  people,  and  in  the  school 
and  classes  as  usual.  On  Monday  evening,  the  deacons'  court 
took  tea  with  me, — a  very  full,  delightful  meeting, — and  they 
agreed  upon  a  minute,  conceived  and  drawn  up  in  a  beautiful, 
truly  Christian  spirit,  to  be  carried  by  their  commissioners  to, 
the  Presbytery.  On  Tuesday  evening,  the  session  met  and 
adopted  the  same  minute.  On  Wednesday  evening,  the  con- 
gregation met  and  adopted  the  same.  This  they  will  give  in 
as  their  commission,  for  the  different  bodies,  and  merely  add 
one  kindly  word  or  two.  They  view  it  as  the  will  of  God,  and 
it  is  only  on  this  ground  that  I  can  stand.  I  have  never, 
you  know,  inquired  about  the  Calcutta  congregation.  I  never 
curiously  think  of  it,  though  my  heart  is  there  long  ago.  I 
have  no  to-morrow ;  the  Lord  is  carrying  me,  and  I  do  know 
that  sweet  happy  life  of  faith,  nestling  in  my  dear  Lord's 
bosom,  to  which  you  alluded  in  your  former  note,  and  which 
was  very  sweet  to  me.  I  think  it  would  be  well  if,  all  through, 
in  answer  to  humble  prayer,  the  Lord  would  graciously  show 
Himself.  My  dear  people  are  acting  nobly.  Do  encourage 
them,  and  ask  dear  Dr.  Duff  to  do  so.  They  have  been  in 
the  forefront  in  liberality,  self-denial,  and  all  devotedness  from 
the  very  first.  They  worship  in  a  poor,  barn-like  church,  that 
they  may  minister  to  the  wants  of  others.  I  am  in  partings 
many.  It  is  a  daily  dying,  and  I  like  the  sweet  rehearsal, 
for  the  Lord  is  making  it  sweet.' 

These  letters  bring  out  the  whole  history  of  the  case  as 
it  stood,  before  the  Presbytery  met.  From  them  we  learn 
how  the  matter  ripened  for  the  final  issue.  Those  who  knew 
him  only  in  his  gentleness  of  spirit  would  have  said,  '  He 
will  give  way  before  their  entreaties  of  affection ;'  but  those 
who  knew  his  fearlessness  and  immobility  of  purpose  where 
duty  seemed  leading  on,  would  have  said,  '  None  of  these 
things  will  move  him.'  He  would  give  up  any  plan  of 
his  own,  and  submit  to  any  amount  of  self-denial,  in  order 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


to  oblige  the  meanest  member  of  his  flock;  but  not  a 
hairbreadth  will  he  move,  in  spite  of  the  beseechings  of  the 
whole  thousand  members,  when  the  way  of  duty  is  made 
plain  to  him.1  All  he  could  say  was,  '  What  mean  ye  to 
weep,  and  to  break  mine  heart  ?  for  I  am  ready  not  only  to 
go  to  India,  but  also  to  die  there  for  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.' 

1  The  extract  contained  in  the  following  note  ought  to  have  come 
in  earlier ;  but  as  part  of  it  is  illustrative  of  the  above  remarks,  it  is 
given  here  : — '  It  is  not  that  I  am  hopeless  here  ;  far  from  it.  I  have 
not  been  permitted  to  doubt  but  that  there  will  be  blessing  here  from 
on  high ;  perhaps  abundant,  perhaps  soon.  Neither  is  it  that  my 
people  were  ever  more  numerous  or  more  attached.  I  believe  that 
we  never  loved  one  another  more,  and  it  will  be  a  sore  pang  on  both 
sides  when  we  part.  But  yet  I  am  changed.  My  heart  is  sad  and 
lone.  It  seems  withered  like  the  grass.  Husband,  father,  widower, 
and  childless ;  and  all  in  fast  succession.  I  feel  that  I  need  change 
of  scene  and  employment,  and  hope  that  in  another  land  my  poor, 
weak  heart  may  again  open,  and  begin  to  find  a  new  and  fresh  interest 
in  life.  My  work,  and  dear  friends  like  you,  are  now  my  earthly  all. 
I  think  the  Lord  is  beginning  to  smile  upon  me  and  help  me.  Pray 
for  me  my  own  earnest  prayer,  "that  I  may  recover  strength  before 
I  go  hence  and  be  no  more."  I  should  like  that  my  last  days  were 
good  days.' — Letter  to  Mr.  SomervUic, 


CHAPTER   XI. 

1853- 

DECISION   AS  TO   INDIA. 

ON  the  23d  of  February  the  Presbytery  were  to  meet 
to  consider  the  case.  The  usual  steps  were  duly 
taken,  and  the  congregation  cited  to  appear  for  their 
interests. 

But,  meanwhile,  Mr.  Milne  was  desirous  that  his  people 
should  be  of  one  mind  with  himself  as  to  this  step ;  and 
should  acknowledge  what  he  believed  to  be  the  mind  of 
God  in  it ;  and  should,  though  it  might  be  with  sorrowful 
hearts,  appear  at  the  Presbytery,  not  as  opposing,  but  ac- 
quiescing to  this  translation. 

The  full  narrative  of  all  the  interviews  and  correspond- 
ence relating  to  these  weeks,  would  occupy  more  space 
than  can  here  be  given  to  it.  We  content  ourselves  with 
a  few  letters  which  bring  out  the  state  of  things,  and  intro- 
duce us  to  the  decisive  meeting  of  Presbytery. 

Mr.  Milne  writes  to  Dr.  Duff  on  the  12th  of  January  : — 

'  My  DEAR  Dr.  DUFF, — I  have  this  day  had  two  new  mani- 
festations of  my  Lord's  tender  grace,  and  great  considerateness. 
Last  night,  when  I  got  home  late  from  a  long  day  of  visiting, 


1 68  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

I  found  a  lengthened  paper,  containing  reasons  for  my  not 
leaving  my  present  charge,  along  with  two  notes,  one  a  medical 
certificate  (from  two  of  my  elders),  and  the  other  an  invitation 
to  a  conference  this  afternoon  at  three  o'clock.  Oh,  how  much 
I  am  humbled  and  laid  in  the  dust  by  having  so  much  ado 
made  about  a  poor  wretched  creature  !  This  morning  I  was 
quite  comforted  by  a  letter  from  Mr.  Hawkins,  which  I  took 
with  me  to  the  meeting.  *  Oh,  how  painful  to  be  among  my 
dearest  and  most  cherished  friends,  and  constrained  to  grieve 
them  !  After  prayer,  I  said,  "  I  am  not  come  to  reason  ;  how 
can  I  fight  against  such  love  ?  I  wish  merely  to  state  my 
deliberate  conviction  of  the  divine  leadings."  They  all  met 
me  in  the  same  spirit.  How  kind,  respectful,  and  tender  they 
are  with  me  !  I  left  them,  acknowledging  on  both  sides  that 
all  we  wish  is  the  will  of  the  Lord.  I  was  going  home,  veiy 
sadly,  lamenting  that  you  and  Mr.  Hawkins  should  be  so  much 
troubled  about  one  so  unworthy,  and  that  I  should  be  forced 
into  publicity.  At  that  moment  the  postman  passed,  and  look- 
ing his  bundle,  gave  me  a  letter ;  it  was  yours,  and  my  burden 
fell  off,  and  I  was  lightened.  I  fear  Mr.  Hawkins  will  be 
startled,  when  a  huge  lawyer-like  paper  is  sent  him.  I  don't 
like  to  write  again,  for  he  must  be  weary  of  seeing  this  cons  cant 
dropping.  I  begin  to  feel  that  there  is  a  principle  involved, 
and  that  something  must  be  done  to  prove  that  it  is  not  a 
pastor's  will,  nor  a  people's  will,  that  is  to  determine  this 
arrangement  of  the  forces  of  Zion ;  but  that  it  is  the  will  of 
Him  who  walks  among  the  golden  candlesticks.  My  mind 
has  never  wavered  ;  I  have  had  sinkings,  but  have  anon  been 
lifted  up  again.  What  would  be  bitter  indeed,  would  be 
division  between  this  dear,  dear  people.  If  they  come  to  you, 
try  to  plead  what  has  ever  been  my  prayer,  my  teaching,  my 
example,  "  That  they  all  may  be  one  in  the  Lord." 

'John  Milne.' 

On   the    17th   of  the   same   month   he  writes   to  Mr. 
Hawkins : — 


LOOKING  EASTWARD.  169 

'  My  very  dear  Mr.  Hawkins, — Shall  I  allow  that  I  look 
with  no  little  interest  to  your  visit  ?  I  suppose,  in  the  first 
instance,  I  shall  not  be  permitted  to  have  more  intercourse 
than  shaking  hands  at  the  terminus,  for  my  dear  friends  here 
are  jealous  of  the  influence  which  they  think  you  and  Dr.  Duff 
exercise  over  me.  I  am  quite  alone  in  a  hot,  hot  furnace  of 
love.  I  think  I  can  say  to  the  Hindoo,  breaking  loose  from 
caste  and  family,  I  know  it  all.  Of  course  all  this  leads  to  the 
inquiry,  as  I  told  my  people  yesterday,  "  Is  this  a  bar  in  my  way 
— a  bar  of  love  ?  or  is  it  rather  a  trial  to  test  and  prove,  and  see 
if  we  are  those  self-abandoned  ones  whom  the  Lord  loves  to  use 
and  honour  ?  "  I  believe  the  people  are  in  the  very  state  that  I 
prayerfully  desire, — softened,  loving,  waiting  on  the  Lord  with 
one  accord.  They  had  a  very  full  meeting  on  Thursday  night, 
and  another  most  touching  meeting  for  prayer  last  night.  I 
think  all  is  going  on  in  the  way  which  Paul  would  call  "  Ex- 
ceeding abundantly,  above  all  that  we  can  ask  or  think."  Will 
you  be  firm  ?  I  feel  the  door  of  usefulness  here  so  very  wide, 
and  the  ready  access  to  every  one  I  meet,  by  day  and  night, 
that  I  feel  there  is  a  most  weighty  responsibility  ;  and  though 
all  my  predilections  now,  and  plans,  are  eastward,  and  though 
it  would  be  a  real  cross  to  be  stopped,  yet  in  my  heart  I  seek 
to  be  in  entire  simplicity  at  the  Lord's  disposal.  I  have  liking, 
but  desire  to  have  no  willing  till  He  decide  it.  I  am  sorry  I 
cannot  get  over  to-morrow  night  to  the  meeting  in  the  New 
College.  The  subject  is  one  ever  uppermost  in  my  heart.  It 
is  our  communion  week,  and  we  meet  in  session  to-morrow 
night  to  confer  about  the  spiritual  condition  of  each  district. 
What  is  passing  here  is  surely  a  revival  of  the  Disruption  spirit, 
and  as  such  I  hail  it. — Believe  me,  ever  very  affectionately 
yours,  'John  Milne.' 

Never  did  worldly  man  seek  after  promotion  and 
emolument  with  such  earnestness  as  Mr.  Milne  set  his 
heart  upon  missionary  work  in  India.  His  whole  soul 
seemed  to  burn  with  a  desire  to   go   forth   and  labour 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


there.  His  correspondence  shows  this.  His  repeated 
and  unwavering  declarations  to  his  brethren  show  it 
Nothing  could  turn  him  aside  from  this  purpose. 

The  meeting  of  Presbytery  was  deeply  solemn  as  well 
as  touching.  His  people  nobly  gave  him  up,  though 
with  broken  hearts.  They  left  the  whole  matter  in  the 
hands  of  the  Presbytery ;  and  the  Presbytery,  with  reluc- 
tance in  one  aspect,  and  with  joy  in  another,  felt  con- 
strained to  make  the  sacrifice.  He  pleaded  so  fervently. 
It  looked  like  pleading  against  Perth,  against  his  people, 
and  against  Scotland.  Yet  it  was  not  so.  He  pleaded 
for  India ;  he  pleaded  for  the  heathen.  He  entreated  to 
be  allowed  to  go  forth  into  the  field  of  foreign  work  for 
Christ.  We  give  his  speech  in  full.  Both  from  its  own 
power,  and  from  the  intensity  of  soul  in  delivering  it,  its 
effect  was  overwhelming. 

'  Moderator, — My  brethren  will  not  be  surprised  if  I  am  a 
good  deal  oppressed.  I  crave  their  sympathy  and  prayers.  I 
am  come  to  a  crisis  in  my  mortal  history.  If  I  draw  back,  as 
friends  desire,  I  know  not  what  shame  may  cover  me,  or  what 
thoughts  may  haunt  and  dog  me  to  the  grave.  And  yet,  if  I 
go  on,  I  shall  do  what  may,  perhaps  must,  affect  me  seriously 
for  time  and  for  eternity.  If  this  were  all,  it  would  be  a  small 
matter,  and  it  would  be  an  unspeakable  relief  to  know  that  my 
movements  would  only  affect  myself.  But  I  cannot  hide  from 
myself  the  fact  that  my  movement  may,  perhaps  must,  affect 
others  both  for  time  and  for  eternity.  This  is  a  burden  too 
heavy  for  a  sinful  worm  to  bear,  and  I  could  not  endure  it,  if  I 
had  not  some  realizing  sense  of  a  present  Jehovah,  in  whose 
fulness  I  see  enough  to  supply  the  wants  of  my  dear  flock  who 
may  soon  be  without  a  shepherd,  and  to  meet  all  the  exigencies 
of  that  new,  untried  life  on  which  I  am  about  to  enter.     I  have 


SPEE  CH  IN  PRE  SB  YTER  V.  1 7 1 

received  many  tokens  of  my  Lord's  loving-kindness  in  connec- 
tion with  this  affair ;  and  I  reckon  it  not  one  of  the  least  of 
them  that,  through  the  kindness  of  our  beloved  friends,  Mr. 
Hawkins  and  Dr.  Duff,  I  am  this  day  spared  the  necessity 
of  doing  much  more  than  simply  declaring  my  unchanged, 
unwavering,  unqualified  adherence  to  the  offer  which  I  have 
made  of  my  services  for  India.  That  offer  was  prompted  by 
feelings  and  convictions  which  you  have  heard  very  fully  de- 
tailed, and  I  know  not  that  I  should  care  to  add  anything  to  that 
statement,  were  I  not  most  anxious  that  my  brethren,  if  they 
cannot  approve,  should  at  least  acquiesce  in  the  step  which  I 
have  purposed  to  take.  A  linked  chain  of  circumstances,  little 
in  themselves,  and  which  it  would  be  impossible  to  narrate, 
but  which  are  to  me  interesting  and  significant,  have  led  me  to 
a  full  assurance  that  this  movement  is  of  the  Lord.  It  may  be 
said  that  it  had  its  commencement  when  I  was  in  a  state  of 
sorrow  and  dejection  ;  granted.  But  who  will  say  that  this  was 
not  the  Lord  emptying  and  bringing  down  my  heart  that  I 
might  be  made  willing  to  go  whithersoever  He  would  ?  It  may 
be  said  that  this  offer  was  made  when  I  was  greatly  ignorant 
of  the  affection  which  my  dear  people  felt  for  me,  and  of  the 
amount  of  spiritual  good  which  I  was  the  means  of  doing 
among  them  ;  granted.  But  who  can  say  that  this  was  not  the 
Lord  leading  the  blind  in  a  way  that  he  knew  not?  covering 
my  eyes  to  what  He  saw  all  the  time,  that  my  heart  and  eye 
might  be  irrevocably  fixed  on  a  different  field  of  labour  ?  My 
brethren  will  doubtless  see  not  a  little  sin  and  error  in  what  I 
have  done.  But  are  there  any  actings  of  ours  that  are  pure 
and  perfect  ?  And  yet  a  sovereign  God  takes  them  and  links 
them  into  those  chains  of  providence  and  grace  by  which  He 
accomplishes  His  eternal  purposes.  Looking  back,  I  see  some 
things  done  in  ignorance,  some  in  unbelief,  and  some  with  too 
little  consideration  and  consultation  of  my  dearest  friends  ;  yet 
I  see  also  a  pathway  of  heaven's  own  light,  that  causes  a  lively 
hope  that  the  Lord,  out  of  this  movement,  will  bring  good  to  my 
flock  and  glory  to  Himself.     I  have  found  it  a  good  time  for 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


my  own  soul  since  this  negotiation  began.  The  Lord  has  come 
near,  and  the  world  is  far  away.  Long  has  the  word  sounded 
in  my  ear :  "  Leave  all  and  follow  Me,  and  I  will  make  you 
fishers  of  men."  I  have  often  coveted  the  grace  to  do  it,  and  I 
do  feel  as  I  never  did,  "  whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee  ? "  I 
go  in  simple  faith.  I  have  made  no  provisions,  no  conditions, 
no  comparison  of  the  two  fields,  no  very  particular  inquiry  about 
difficulties  and  dangers.  I  think  I  have  heard  a  command 
"  Go,"  and  I  wish  to  go  ;  "  Follow  Me,"  and  I  wish  to  follow. 
And  He  who  calls  seems  to  be  breaking  up  the  way.  Clouds 
have  arisen,  only  to  vanish  ;  difficulties  have  sprung  up,  only 
to  give  way  ;  objections  were  suggested  to  my  own  mind,  but 
they  have  been  wholly  removed.  My  dear  people's  deep,  wide, 
tender  interest  in  the  matter  seemed  at  first  a  bar.  My  heart 
trembled,  as  wave  after  wave  of  delicate,  respectful,  loving 
solicitation  broke  upon  me,  and  I  feared  my  purpose  would 
give  way.  I  am  a  wonder  to  myself  when  I  think  how  I  have 
stood  out ;  and  this,  more  than  anything,  makes  me  believe  that 
it  is  of  the  Lord.  My  friends  here  know  that  I  early  said,  "  If 
it  be  of  the  Lord,  everything  will  give  way,"  and  so  I  have  found 
it.  My  people  are  greatly  reconciled,  and  so  will  be  my  Pres- 
bytery too.  Brethren,  a  bubble  on  the  water,  a  straw  in  the 
gale,  are  insignificant  in  themselves,  but  significant  as  showing 
the  direction  of  the  wind  and  the  drift  of  the  tide.  Such  am  I, 
one  of  the  weakest  and  unworthiest  among  you.  Yet  for  the 
moment  I  occupy  an  important  position  ;  for,  from  your  decision 
on  this  matter,  it  will  be  seen  how  your  heart  is  affected  to  that 
great  command,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world."  You  have  sent 
away  our  brother  Grant  to  Australia,  Cumming  to  Glasgow, 
without  a  single  word  of  objection  or  disapproval.  If  you  lay 
an  embargo  upon  me ; — but  no,  the  thought  is  absurd.  We 
have  too  long  joined  in  the  prayer,  "  Thy  kingdom  come,  Thy 
will  be  done  on  earth."  Here  we  see  and  know  only  in  part.  We 
can  take  in  things  only  in  little  parcels  at  a  time.  It  is  well 
that  it  is  so.  One  scene  of  this  affair  is  transacting  to-day  ; 
another  will  come  by  and  by.      I  know  this  heart  will  be  torn 


/  AM  DEBTOR.  173 


and  lacerated  in  every  part  when  I  bid  adieu,  a  lasting  adieu, 
to  my  brethren  and  beloved  flock.  But  I  know  it  will  be 
separation,  not  division, — we  are  one  in  Jesus  ;  we  shall  still  here 
meet  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  be  reunited,  ere  long,  around 
the  throne  of  glory.  Deal  gently  with  me  and  my  people. 
Bruised  hearts  are  here.  Pour  in  wine  and  oil,  and  exhort  and 
help  us  to  hope  that  this  affliction,  which  is  not  joyous  but 
grievous,  will  yet  yield  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness.' 

The  Presbytery  yielded  to  his  pleadings,  though  some 
were  not  fully  persuaded  in  their  own  minds,  and  resolved 
to  loose  him  from  his  charge  in  Perth,  that  he  might  forth- 
with proceed  to  Calcutta  to  take  pastoral  charge  of  the 
Free  Church  congregation  there. 

The  desire  of  his  heart  was  fulfilled.  '  I  am  debtor,' 
he  could  say,  '  both  to  the  Greeks  and  to  the  barbarians, 
both  to  the  wise  and  to  the  unwise ;  so,  as  much  as  in  me 
is,  I  am  ready  to  preach  the  gospel  to  you  that  are  at ' — 
Calcutta  also.  He  was  now  setting  off  to  pay  the  debt. 
He  was  doing  so  with  his  whole  soul.  Never  did  the  pale, 
broken-down  exile  return  from  the  land  of  the  sun  to  his 
native  Scotland  with  half  the  gladness  with  which  Mr. 
Milne  went  forth  to  carry  the  gospel  to  these  'regions 
afar  off.' 

No  minister  ever  loved  his  flock  more  than  he  did,  yet 
he  parted  cheerfully  from  them  to  fulfil  what  he  conceived 
to  be  his  more  special  mission.  He  was  now  loosed  from 
home ;  or,  rather,  he  had  found  a  new  home  and  a  new 
sphere.  Thus  he  writes,  in  a  private  journal,  on  the  Sab- 
bath immediately  before  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery, 
anticipating  its  decision. 

His  '  entry'  on  that  Sabbath  was  a  little  premature  ;  the 


174  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

case  was  not  decided,  though  his  own  mind  was  made  up. 
Many  things  might  have  hindered.  But  it  was  his  way. 
The  step  which  he  had  resolved  to  take  was  counted  as 
already  taken,  and  spoken  of  or  written  about  as  such. 
His  ministerial  arrangements  were  at  times  somewhat  of 
this  kind.  He  would  fix  his  plans,  arrange  his  meetings, 
expect  you  to  help,  announce  you  as  one  of  his  assistants, 
and  yet  his  invitation  was  only  on  its  way  to  you !  He 
saw  no  hindrance,  and  so  concluded  that  there  was  none. 
You  must  come,  whether  you  could  or  not.  It  was  all 
arranged  and  advertised  !  Yet  how  lovingly  he  bore  the 
disappointment,  when  he  found  that  you  actually  did  not 
come  !  His  earnestness  might  sometimes  make  him  pre- 
cipitate, occasionally  too  urgent ;  yet  it  never  misconstrued 
a  refusal,  but  took  all  in  good  part. 
Let  us  hear  his  journal : — 

'  Leo7iard  Bank,  Perth,  10th  February  1853. — Sabbath  night. 
— This  is  properly  my  last  Sabbath  as  minister  of  St.  Leonard's. 
I  have  been  graciously  upheld  and  supported,  been  enabled  to 
go  on  as  if,  on  Wednesday,  I  was  not  to  have  the  pastoral  tie 
dissolved.  How  kind  God  and  men  are  to  me  !  I  am  over- 
whelmed. I  fear  the  Lord  and  His  goodness.  Still  there  is  in 
me  the  body  of  sin  and  death  ;  and  though,  for  the  present,  it 
seems  graciously  subdued,  and  greatly  restrained  and  kept 
under,  yet  may  I  walk  softly,  watch  and  pray  always,  and  dili- 
gently use  all  blessed  appointed  means  of  holiness.  Lord  save 
and  bless ! 

1 21st  February. — Monday  night. — Rather  wearied,  but  I  al- 
ways find  that  a  short  season  of  quiet  resting  in  the  Lord  sets 
me  up  again.  How  sweet  to  me  is  that  word,  "  He  restoreth 
my  soul !  "  It  was  remarked  to  me  to-night,  as  a  pity,  that  my 
last  Sabbath  here  will  be  the  communion  Sabbath.      But  I 


THOUGHTS  AND  PREPARATIONS.  175 

have  had  it  brought  to  my  mind  that  Thy  parting,  0  my 
Lord,  was  at  the  supper  table,  and  that  Thy  servant  Paul  took 
leave  of  his  beloved  friends  with  the  breaking  of  bread. 

' i^d  February. —  Wednesday  morning. — Dr.  Duff  and  Mr. 
Hawkins  came  last  night,  and  to-day  the  Presbytery  will  sepa- 
rate me  from  St.  Leonard's.  Thou  knowest,  Lord,  I  have  but 
two  wishes — Thy  glory,  and  good  to  my  flock.  "  Yea,  what  is 
good  the  Lord  will  give."  And  that,  as  the  day,  so  my  strength 
may  be.  I  feel,  by  long  experience,  that  when  I  am  weak,  then 
I  am  strong ;  when  I  stumble,  I  am  lifted  up.  Condescend,  in 
Thy  sovereign  mercy,  to  glorify  Thyself  in  me. 

'  Evening. — I  am  no  longer  minister  of  St.  Leonard's.  The 
meeting  of  Presbytery  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  solemn  and 
affectionate.  Surely  the  Lord  smiles  on  this  whole  movement. 
Lord,  I  am  a  stranger  and  sojourner  with  Thee.  Keep  my 
heart  from  resting  henceforth  on  any  earthly  thing.  I  am  a 
weak  and  sinful  man  ;  and  yet,  when  I  try  to  be  Thine,  Thou 
takest  me. 

'  26th  February. — Saturday  evening. — Went  to  Edinburgh 
on  Thursday  with  Dr.  Duff  and  Mr.  Hawkins.  Made  necessary 
arrangements  in  a  few  minutes,  as  Mrs.  Hawkins  and  Mrs. 
Duff  are  to  arrange  all.  Oh  !  how  smoothly  and  easily  I  am 
carried  on.  My  God  and  my  fellow-men  are  loading  me  with 
benefits.  Make  me  holy.  May  I  strive  after  holiness  !  May 
Satan's  devices  disappoint  him,  and  turn  back  on  his  own  head! 
Bless  what  I  have  been  thinking  of  for  to-morrow.  I  wait  on 
Thee. 

l2jth  February. — Sabbath  night. — This  has  been  a  very 
comfortable  day.  I  went  a  little  earlier  to  bed  last  night  than 
usual,  and  I  think  that  is  good.  I  have  greatly  enjoyed  my 
work  this  day.  Whether  it  has  been  useful  in  the  same  degree 
I  cannot  tell ;  but  I  am  thankful  for  Thy  help,  O  my  gracious 
Lord !  Guide  me  in  regard  to  that  matter  which  has  struck 
me  in  Bunyan.  I  feel  my  heart  greatly  drawn  out  for  my  young 
men.  There  must  be  about  sixty  of  them  at  least,  and  many 
are  gracious  and  most  hopeful ;  also  my  young  women ;  there 


176  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

are  as  many  of  them,  though  I  cannot  speak  with  anything  like 
the  same  certainty,  not  having  seen  so  much  of  them.  How 
my  heart  warms  to  the  simple,  gracious,  praying  lads  !  How 
often  I  have  been  refreshed  among  them,  and  what  proofs  I 
have  had  of  their  confidence  and  love  !  Help  me  to  pray  much 
for  my  people.  Help  me  to  join  in  the  union  of  the  week  for 
prayer.  Help  me  to  preach  savingly  and  convertingly  while  I 
remain.  Last  week  has  been  a  very  busy  one  ;  and  this  day, 
though  pleasant,  has  been  exhausting ;  but  my  Lord  sustains 
me.  Thou  wilt  preserve  me  from  every  snare  and  evil  work. 
Thou  knowest  where  I  am  very  weak  and  vulnerable.  Oh, 
save  me  from  all  presumption.     Humble,  holy,  I  would  be. 

1  March  id. —  Wednesday  morning. — I  have  this  morning 
had  some  gracious  longings  for  a  soft,  humble,  holy  heart. 

0  my  Lord,  give  it,  continue  it,  increase  it,  for  Thy  name's 
sake.  Let  Thy  increasing  goodness  make  me  Thy  humble, 
holy,  adoring,  burning  lover  and  servant.  My  heart,  my  whole 
heart,  I  want  to  be  entirely,  eternally  Thine.  Teach  me  to  dis- 
tinguish between  law  and  Thy  blessed  gospel.  May  I  never 
look  to  myself  for  my  warrant  to  come  to  Thee ;  but  may  what 

1  growingly  see  in  myself  of  all  baseness,  sin,  and  vileness,  and 
what  I  desire  growingly  to  see  in  Thee  of  all  goodness  and 
worthiness,  and  grace  and  beauty  and  desirableness,  make  me 
pant  and  languish,  and  long  and  die,  of  heart-love  sickness. 

*  March  3d. — Monday  morning. — Overwrought  a  good  deal 
yesterday.  Tried  a  little  during  the  night,  but  now  restored. 
Have  written  a  little  pastoral  letter  to  the  flock  at  Calcutta. 
How  much  I  feel  the  necessity  and  blessedness  of  being  care- 
ful for  nothing  ;  but  in  everything,  with  thanksgiving,  pray !  If 
I  look  at  myself,  or  at  outward  things,  I  become  gloomy ;  but 
in  Thee,  Blessed  One,  is  no  darkness  at  all.  Even  a  Pilate 
could  say,  "  I  find  no  fault."  I  desire  eternally  to  cry,  "  Chiefest 
among  ten  thousand,  and  altogether  lovely ! " 

'■March  $£h,  Glendoich. — Saturday  morning. — I  see  Thy 
goodness,  O  my  Lord,  and  my  own  sin.  I  do  desire  grace  to 
deny  myself  in  every  form.     Oh,  help  me  to  crush  all  the 


JOURNAL.  177 

desires  of  this  corrupt  nature,  whether  in  the  form  of  vanity  or 
pride,  or  of  ease  or  sense.  I  do  see  and  feel  a  little  that  it  is 
good  to  die  daily.  Be  Thou  chief  and  uppermost.  Take  us 
the  foxes.  I  see  a  merciful  deliverance,  and  Thou  guidest  me 
with  Thine  eye.  Make  me  Thy  friend  ;  and  may  I  walk  with 
Thee  in  the  fulness  of  a  most  transparent  and  unsuspecting 
confidence. 

'  Evening. — Arbroath. — Somewhat  helped  at  church.  I  am 
overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  Thy  goodness,  O  Lord.  I  see 
sin  in  what  I  have  now  before  me, — I  fear  it  began  in  sin  ; 
but  I  also  see  more  and  more  Thy  gentleness  and  mercy  in  it. 
Oh,  how  kind — how  kind — how  kind  Thou  hast  been.  I  do 
desire  with  all  my  heart  to  give  myself  unreservedly,  eternally 
to  Thee.  I  only  wonder  that  Thou  shouldst  care  for  such  a  gift. 
My  Lord, — my  blessed,  glorious,  heavenly  Lord, — let  me  every 
day  increasingly  fear  Thee  and  Thy  goodness.  Deal  kindly 
with  all  those  I  am  thinking  of  at  present ;  manifest  Thyself 
to  them,  and  let  them  love  Thee.  I  ask  a  blessing  for  to-mor- 
row,— not  merely  help,  but  power.  Let  souls  be  awakened  and 
saved,  and  let  me  be  able,  as  I  journey  along,  to  say,  "  Now 
thanks  be  to  God,  who  always  causeth  us  to  triumph  in  Christ, 
and  maketh  manifest  the  savour  of  His  knowledge  by  us."  Let 
me  never  trifle,  but  be  always  girded  up  and  seeking  eternal 
things. 

'  March  Jth,  Monday. — Leonard  Bank. — On  Saturday  night 
a  letter  from  Francis  Edmond  told  me  of  the  impossibility  of 
getting  on  to  Huntly  Lodge,  Perth,  and  Elgin,  as  I  intended. 
This  for  a  little  was  a  trial,  and  disconcerted  all  my  plans, 
because  I  have  now  little  time.  But  I  gave  way,  and  doubt 
not  that  I  shall  yet  see  good  reasons  for  this  disappointment. 
Enjoyed  the  Sabbath  work  both  in  public  and  visiting  the 
sick;  but  felt  a  wish  that  I  had  prayed  more  on  Saturday 
night.  I  think  I  was  too  much  carried  away  and  excited. 
Happy  this  morning,  and  have  comfort  in  all  the  circumstances 
of  travel.  I  would  seek  to  remember  that  every  moment  we 
exercise  influence.      I  felt  this  in  reading  that  sentence  last 

M 


178  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

night,  and  I  feel  it  to-day  in  the  commencement  of  my  converse 
with  Mr.  Webster.  Oh,  what  a  watchful,  self-denied,  con- 
siderate, girded-up  life  one  would  need  to  live,  and  yet  how 
easy  and  sweet  such  a  life  would  be,  if  we  walked  in  the  light, 
as  He  is  in  the  light !  Lord,  make  me  holy,  that  is,  make  me 
wholly,  constantly,  heartily  Thine.  I  am  once  more  home. 
I  feel  that  I  have  never  realized  yet  the  final  going  away.  But 
it  will  soon  come,  and  Thou  wilt  bear  me  through.  A  new 
home  even  on  earth,  if  Thou  seest  good,  and  an  eternal  one, 
by  and  by,  above.  Have  just  heard  a  report  of  some  terrible 
accident  to  the  Barbours  on  the  railway.  Help  me  to  bear 
them  on  my  heart.     Guide  my  dear  people  at  present. 

'  March  Zth. — Tuesday  morning. — Went  over  last  night  to 
Springland,  and  found  that  the  rumour  was  true,  and  that  the 
reality  was  worse  than  the  rumour.  I  feel  that  Thou,  Lord,  art 
giving  me  to  bear  these  sorely  afflicted  friends  upon  my  mind 
and  heart  night  and  day.  Thy  will  be  done.  I  desire  increas- 
ingly to  count  all  loss.  Make  my  heart  clean.  Thou  knowest 
that  I  have  never  felt  bitterness  under  my  trials,  though  I  have 
sinfully  sunk  under  them.  But  what,  after  all,  are  mine  to 
theirs  ?  Lord,  support  and  bless  them.  Guide  me  in  all  I  have 
to  do  to-day.  Let  me  be  Thy  holy,  happy,  diligent,  simple 
child  and  servant. 

'  March  loth. — Thursday  night. — Troubled  rather  on  Tues- 
day, and  also  Wednesday  morning.  My  Lord,  I  tried  to  look  to 
Thee,  and  think  I  have  found  relief,  though  my  seeking  was 
poor  and  weak.  Have  had  much  happiness  in  my  journey  to 
the  west  I  thank  Thee,  Lord,  for  opportunity  of  meeting  with 
so  many  friends  in  Glasgow — for  the  kindness  of  the  Presbytery 
— for  opportunities  of  usefulness  on  the  way  to  Rothesay — for 
all  that  I  have  learned  from  the  Mackails  ;  for  I  feel  more 
hope  and  encouragement  than  ever,  and  it  is  simply  in  looking 
to  Thee.  May  I  strive  more  and  more  after  the  work  of  faith 
with  power.  I  see  a  clear  ordering  of  all  my  steps.  I  seek 
the  perfect  love  which  casteth  out  fear.  Thou  hast  also 
taught  me  lessons,  and   I  pray  that  I  may  not  forget,  nor 


JOURNAL.  179 

neglect  them.  O  my  Lord,  guide,  keep,  and  bless,  and,  in 
Thy  good  time  and  way,  bring  me  to  my  new  scene  of  work. 
Yet  let  me  not  expect  much  on  earth,  nor  seek  great  things 
here. 

'  I  find  my  Lord  strangely  overruling  all  things.  Thou  art 
disappointing  my  fears,  or  rather,  out  of  what  I  feared  Thou 
art  bringing  goodness  and  blessing.  Thou  removest  my  bur- 
dens and  cares,  and  makest  my  dear  friends  willing  to  take 
them  up.  May  I  care  for  thy  things,  and  may  my  besetting 
sins  be  subdued.  May  pride  and  self  be  quickly  checked,  and 
greatly  abhorred.  Help  me — help  me  to  quench  the  fiery  darts, 
and  to  live  a  life  of  faith,  walking  with  God. 

'  March  12th,  Saturday. — Edinburgh. — The  Lord  has  been 
kind  to-day.  I  have  had  comfort  in  preparing  for  to-morrow. 
I  saw  also  Thy  goodness  yesterday,  and  my  heart  trembles  and 
is  enlarged.  O  my  Lord,  I  long  to  be  wholly  and  abidingly 
Thine.  This  body  of  sin  must  remain ;  but  may  I  watch,  and 
pray,  and  look  to  Thee.  This  world  must  remain  ;  but  may  I 
think  little  or  nothing  of  it,  but  in  connection  with  Thee.  Bless 
those  I  think  of.     Make  them  holy. 

'  April  2d. — Sabbath  evening. — I  desire  thankfully  to  record 
my  gracious  Lord's  loving-kindness.  Life  has  been  flowing  on  in 
a  pleasant  business  {i.e.  busy-ness).  I  find  that  my  hands  are 
made  sufficient  for  me,  and  as  the  day  so  is  my  strength.  I  know 
no  care.  Amid  constant  engagement,  and  great  responsibility, 
I  really  know  no  care.  It  is  a  style  of  life  which  I  have  some- 
times fancied,  but  which  I  never  knew  before.  I  am  trying  to 
care  for  the  things  of  the  Lord,  and  He  makes  many  dear,  wise 
friends  care  for  my  concerns.  I  think  I  do  see  that  He  is 
making  me  feel  an  interest  in  every  creature  I  meet  in  His 
providence.  I  find  it  a  great  help  not  to  look  at  things  in  the 
heap,  but  to  take  them  one  by  one,  hour  by  hour,  day  by  day. 
Also  I  am  strangely  delivered  from  care  about  earthly  things. 
I  seem  not  to  seek  my  happiness  in  any  way  in  them,  but  in 
the  Lord ;  and  in  Him  is  no  darkness,  disappointment,  or 
mortification.    I  almost  wonder  how  I  am  carried  on  ;  but  it  is 


180  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  Lord.  I  feel  very  much  as  Simeon  :  Now  lettest  Thou 
Thy  servant  depart.  My  dear  people's  love  overflows  like  a 
mighty  tide,  and  I  should  not  know  what  to  make  of  it ;  but  a 
voice  that  brooks  no  refusal  says,  "  Be  still,  and  know  that  I 
am  God."  If  He  lifts  up,  who  can  cast  down  ?  I  had  much 
pleasure  in  meeting  friends  in  Aberdeen,  especially  my  dear 
friend  Francis  Edmond.  Also  much  pleasant  intercourse  with 
the  Duchess  of  Gordon  and  Mr.  Rainy  at  Huntly.  I  cannot 
tell  how  much  I  owe  to  that  lady.  I  have  found  my  inter- 
course with  her  quickening  and  elevating.  Also  with  my 
friends  at  Perth  I  have  been  happy,  and  I  have  enjoyed  my 
meeting  with  Mrs.  MacDonald  and  her  family  at  Elgin.  Let 
me  record  those  things  to  look  back  upon,  and  find  cheering 
in  future  hours  of  trial.     I  find  my  dear  people  looking  to 

;  and  how  will  my  heart  rejoice,  if,  unitedly  and  speedily, 

they  invite  one  to  labour  among  them  !  Thy  will,  O  Lord,  be 
done.  Thou  overwhelmest  me  with  kindness,  and  I  have  need 
to  say,  "  I  am  oppressed,  Lord  undertake."  I  ask  guidance 
and  help  for  the  few  remaining  days.  May  I  experience  Thy 
constant  presence  and  blessing.  Remember,  O  Lord,  my 
young  men  and  women.  Thou  art  making  me  to  remember 
my  evil  ways  and  loathe  myself.  This  morning  I  felt  wearied, 
poor,  and  needy,  and  unable  to  realize  present  support. 
Looked  for  help,  and  desired  to  be  simple  and  earnest,  and 
I  have  been  helped  all  day,  yet  feel  some  regret  that  I  did 
not  make  more  of  my  meeting  with  the  young  women.  I 
feel  as  if  I  had  lost  an  opportunity.  I  find  that  no  day 
passes  without^  some  slip,  often  at  the  very  end.  Help  me 
to  repent.     Forgive  and  guide  me  to  repair. 

'  April  \th. — Monday  morning. — I  have  given  away  my  little 
almanac  to  Eliza,  and  so  I  shall  put  my  wishings  and  thoughts 
here.  Awoke  pretty  early.  Felt  my  need  of  close,  steady, 
continued  seeking  Thy  face,  O  Lord.  May  I  walk  softly,  and 
fear,  because  of  Thy  goodness.  I  have  the  prospect  of  a  very 
busy  week,  and  in  each  hour  occupied.  But  I  must  not  look 
at  the  whole,  but  live  hour  by  hour.    Thou  wilt  guide  and  help. 


THE  SINGLE  EYE. 


Keep  my  eyes  from  tears,  and  my  feet  from  falling.  May  I 
watch  and  pray  more,  and  be  ever  guided.  This  is  not  the 
place  for  relaxation.  Help  me  to  be  in  earnest  in  all  I  do,  and 
always  doing.' 

In  all  these  transactions  and  communications  the  single 
eye  is  manifest.  His  face  was  set  stedfastly  to  his  work, 
whatever  and  wherever  that  might  be.  He  sought  not 
to  please  himself.  Nothing  could  turn  him  aside.  He 
was  a  minister  of  Christ ;  nor  could  anything  make  him 
lose  sight  of  that.  In  the  pulpit,  or  out  of  it,  he  was  the 
same.  The  more  you  knew  him,  the  oftener  you  con- 
versed with  him  or  corresponded  with  him,  the  longer 
you  lived  with  him,  the  more  did  you  learn  to  admire  and 
love.  His  house,  his  study,  his  closet,  his  servants,  his 
guests,  his  nearest  relatives,  were  witnesses  of  his  bright 
consistency.  The  farther  in  you  went,  the  more  of  Chris- 
tianity you  found,  and  the  more  of  the  image  of  Christ 
vou  saw. 


CHAPTER  XIZ. 
1853. 

FAREWELLS  —  VOYAGE. 

AMONG  old  letters  there  turns  up  the  following  fare- 
well note  to  me  from  William  Burns.  He  dates 
it  '  Off  Portsmouth,  June  9th,  1847,  on  board  the 
"  Mary,"  — "  Bannatyne,"  for  Hong  Kong.'  It  runs 
thus  : — 

'  Dear  Brother, — As  our  pilot  is  still  on  board,  and  will 
not  leave  us  at  least  till  the  morning,  I  drop  a  note  to  thank 
you  for  your  three  unanswered  notes.  I  have  often  thought  of 
writing,  but  have  wanted  an  impulse  sufficient  to  move  my 
tardy  pen.  I  have  just  entered  on  my  field  of  labour  and 
patience  here.  We  have  got  worship  this  evening  begun  in 
the  cuddy.  This  is  something.  May  the  Lord  Himself  come 
to  us,  though  it  should  be  needful  that  we  be  awakened  by  the 
stormy  wind  and  tempest  My  way  seems  to  have  been  made 
very  plain  in  the  matter  hitherto ;  and  yet  you  can  easily  see 
that  it  is  a  dark  and  solemn  dispensation,  either  to  myself  or 
to  those  I  leave  behind,  when  one  of  the  grounds  of  my  depar- 
ture is  the  want  of  any  special  blessing  at  home.  Truly  we 
live  in  solemn  days  ;  and  it  is  much,  I  think,  to  be  enabled  at 
present  to  hold  fast  that  which  we  have  already  obtained.  I 
must  not  enlarge,  but  remain,  dear  brother,  yours  ever  in 
Jesus,  our  hope,  '  W.  C.  Burns.' 


MR.  BURNS  AND  MR.  MILNE.  183 

Four  years  later,  Mr.  Milne  writes  the  following  similar 
farewell  memorandum  or  diary  on  board  ship  : — 

'  April  27th,  1853. — Much  has  happened  since  last  entry. 
It  was  a  busy  yet  happy  week,  and  the  communion  on  the 
10th  seemed  blessed.  On  Monday  night  was  our  happy  fare- 
well meeting;  happy,  because  of  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
the  display  of  mutual  love,  and  the  hope  that,  ere  long,  we 
should  meet  in  glory.  How  my  heart  fills  at  the  thought  of 
that  dear  people  !  and  I  desire  to  be  stirred  up,  at  the  thought, 
to  constant  watchfulness,  earnestness,  and  prayer.  On  Wed- 
nesday, set  out  for  Edinburgh  ;  on  Friday,  for  London.  I 
think  with  pleasure  of  the  journey,  and  of  all  the  kind- 
ness I  received  from  Mr.  Nisbet,  Mr.  Kinnaird,  and  Lady 
Pine.' 

Thus  these  two  friends,  companions  in  labour  and  in 
warfare,  setting  out  for  different  lands  and  in  different 
years,  as  they  bid  farewell  to  their  native  shores,  speak 
out  in  the  fulness  of  their  hearts.  There  had  been  many 
changes  in  their  lot  since  the  time  that  they  worked  so 
joyfully  together  in  1840.  Both  had  been,  even  in  their 
years  of  busiest  life  at  home,  thinking  of  the  foreign  field ; 
by  very  different  processes  these  thoughts  had  ripened, 
till  at  last, — the  one  in  1847,  and  the  other  in  1853, — they 
set  out,  being  led  in  ways  that  they  knew  not,  for  foreign 
shores,  to  labour  apart  for  years,  and  at  last  to  die  within 
two  months  of  each  other. 

'  Already  lies  my  childhood's  home  behind  me, 
Though  still  I  linger  on  my  native  ground  ; 

And  here  must  soon  be  loosed  the  ties  that  bind  me, 
When  moves  yon  ship,  now  by  her  anchor  bound. 

Friends  of  my  home  !  then  fare-ye-well,  I  leave  you  ; 
The  sail  is  spread,  the  hoisted  flag  I  see ; 


1 84  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Think,  when  in  prayer,  of  me,  nor  let  it  grieve  you  ; 
Mourn  not, — remember  who  has  gone  with  me.' 

Missionary  Embarkation  Hymn  {German). 

He  thus  writes  to  Mr.  Somerville,  on  the  8th  of 
March  : — 

'  Did  you  really  think,  now,  that  I  would  or  could  go  away 
without  seeing  you  once  more  ?  I  trust,  for  the  credit  of  us 
both,  that  no  such  thought  ever  was  yours.  It  was  only  a 
passing  cloud,  darkening  your  love  for  a  moment,  and  then 
passing  away.  I  cannot  say  what  day  I  shall  get  through,  but 
likely  in  the  week  after  next.  I  was  going  north  this  week  to 
Banffshire  and  Morayshire,  but  have  been  obliged  to  return, 
as  the  roads  are  still  uncut.  This  has  broken  up  my  plans  ; 
but  I  am  quietly  believing  that  God's  disposal  is  better  than 
my  proposal.  I  shall  let  you  know  before  I  come.  So  far 
had  I  gone  on,  when  something  said,  "  Why  put  off  till  then 
what  may  be  done  now  ?"  So,  will  you  wait  for  me  to-morrow 
at  your  own  house  a  little  after  ten  ?  I  shall  come  by  the  first 
train.  P.S. — What  sad  tidings  reached  me  from  Manchester 
when  I  got  home  yesterday  !  [referring  to  the  railway  disaster 
which  brought  sorrow  to  Mr.  Barbour's  family.]  I  would  not 
believe  it  till  I  went  over  to  Springland,  and  found  that  reality 
was  worse  than  rumour.  I  am  much  crushed ;  for  it  is  scarce 
ten  days  since  I  parted  with  them  all  at  the  Grange.  I  am 
sick,  sick  of  the  world,  and  should  be  glad  to  get  away,  were 
it  not  for  a  friend  or  two,  and  the  hope  that  I  may  have  a 
little  yet  to  do.' 

The  weeks  before  Mr.  Milne's  departure  were  busy 
weeks,  filled  up  with  farewell  visits  and  farewell  sermons, 
and  farewell  work  of  other  kinds.  He  preached  his  last 
sermon  on  the  evening  of  Sabbath  the  ioth  of  April.1 

1  The  following  paragraph  is  from  a  local  journal : — '  Our  reader? 
are  aware  that,  some  time  ago,  Mr.  Milne  accepted  a  call  from  the 
Free  Church  congregation  of  Calcutta,  addressed  to  him  through  Dr. 


PREPARATIONS,  FAREWELLS.  I&S 

Besides  this  farewell  Sabbath's  communion  services, 
there  was  a  Monday's  meeting  in  Free  St.  Leonard's 
Church  on  the  nth,  where  there  was  an  immense  gather- 
ing to  bid  the  final  farewell.     Of  this  it  will  be  best  to 

Duff  and  Mr.  Hawkins.  On  this  account,  the  pastoral  connection 
between  him  and  his  present  congregation  came  to  a  close,  by  appoint- 
ment of  the  Presbytery,  on  Sabbath  last,  the  day  on  which  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  dispensed ;  and  in  a  few  days,  we 
understand,  he  leaves  his  native  shores  for  the  far  distant  land,  which 
is  to  be  the  scene  of  his  future  labours.  The  removal  of  such  an 
honoured  servant  of  the  Lord  from  the  midst  of  us  has  created  a  deep 
sensation  among  all  classes  of  the  community,  more  especially  among 
the  members  of  the  Church  of  which  he  is  a  bright  ornament.  For 
thirteen  years  he  has  been  pastor  of  St.  Leonard's  congregation. 
During  this  time  he  has  endeared  himself  to  all  by  his  uniform  kindli- 
ness of  manner  and  singleness  of  heart,  labouring  zealously,  faithfully, 
affectionately,  and  successfully  amongst  a  large,  influential,  and 
attached  flock,  who,  holding  as  he  did  the  scriptural  principles  for 
which  the  Church  of  Scotland  contended  during  the  "  Ten  Years' 
Conflict,"  adhered  to  him  at  the  Disruption,  and  continued  to  enjoy 
his  valued  ministrations.  We  feel  deep  regret  at  parting  with  him. 
The  thought  is  sorrowful  and  solemnizing,  that  we  are  to  see  no  more 
his  light  and  rapid  step,  as  he  hurried  to  and  fro  through  the  streets 
of  our  city,  ever  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  heavenly  Master,  to  wait 
at  the  couches  of  the  sick  and  dying,  and  to  cany  the  bread  of  life 
from  house  to  house.  We  sympathize  deeply  with  his  bereaved  con- 
gregation, who  are  no  more  to  hear  in  the  sanctuary  his  earnest  and 
glowing  appeals,  or  to  receive  at  his  lips,  in  the  time  of  sickness  and 
sorrow,  the  consolations  of  grace,  which  sustained  his  own  spirit 
amidst  severe  domestic  trials,  and  which  he  knew  so  well  how  to 
apply  to  others.  Long,  long  will  it  be  before  the  honoured  name  of 
Mr.  Milne  will  be  pronounced  by  many  in  Perth  without  emotion,  or 
fail  to  call  up  in  their  minds  associations  of  a  tenderly,  impressive, 
and  very  solemn  nature.  Still,  whilst  his  people  and  the  community 
of  Perth  suffer  a  grievous  loss,  it  is  an  alleviation  to  think  that  his 
labours  will  be  continued  in  the  same  great  cause,  though  in  a  distant 
land.     Scotland's  loss  is  India's  gain.' 


1 86  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

give  the  newspaper  account,  as  more  vividly  bringing  the 
scene  before  us  : — 

'  On  Monday  evening  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  of 
Free  St.  Leonard's  Church  was  held  in  their  own  place  of 
worship,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  a  public  farewell  of  their  late 
highly-respected  and  beloved  pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Milne,  and 
presenting  him  with  a  token  of  their  esteem  previous  to  his 
leaving  his  native  country  to  take  the  pastoral  charge  of  the 
Free  Church  congregation  at  Calcutta.  The  church  was  filled 
to  overflow,  and  great  numbers  belonging  to  different  persua- 
sions, who  were  anxious  to  witness  and  take  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings, could  not  get  admittance.  John  Flockhart,  Esq., 
presided ;  and  upon  the  platform  erected  in  front  of  the  pulpit, 
besides  Mr.  Milne,  the  members  of  the  kirk-session,  and  the 
deacons'  court,  we  noticed  the  following  members  of  the 
Free  Church  Presbytery  of  Perth  :  The  Rev.  Messrs.  Gray, 
Dymock,  Grierson,  Bonar,  and  Walker ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Moody 
Stuart,  Edinburgh  ;  W.  S.  Turnbull,  Esq.  of  Huntingtower ; 
A.  Cunningham,  etc.  etc.  The  solemn  and  highly  interesting 
proceedings  of  the  evening  commenced  by  singing  the  121st 
Psalm.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Stuart  read  the  20th  chapter  of  Acts, 
from  17th  verse  to  the  end,  and  then  offered  up  a  fervid  and 
appropriate  prayer,  highly  suitable  indeed  to  the  circumstances 
in  which  pastor  and  people  were  placed,  after  which  the  chair- 
man called  upon  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gray  to  address  the  meeting. 

The  rev,  gentleman,  in  a  short  address,  alluded  to  the  part 
he  had  taken  in  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Milne  as  minister  of  St. 
Leonard's  Church.  The  thirteen  years  since  did  not  seem 
long,  and  could  be  easily  spanned.  The  congregation  were 
now  in  very  much  the  same  situation  as  then ;  for  his  personal 
friend,  Mr.  Milne,  with  the  closing  services  of  a  communion 
Sabbath,  was  no  longer  minister  of  Free  St.  Leonard's.  But 
neither  pastor  nor  people  were  the  same.  His  dear  friend  was 
not  the  same,  for  he  had  had  trials  and  experiences  that  would 
go  with  him  to  the  grave.     The  congregation  were  not  the 


FAREWELL  CONGREGATIONAL  MEETING.       1S7 

same,  for,  after  his  settlement  amongst  them,  there  was  a  won- 
derful work  of  the  grace  of  God  manifested.  They  were  not  the 
same,  for  the  faithful  labours  of  Mr.  Milne  had  been  sanctified 
to  the  conversion  of  not  a  few,  and  all  had  much  to  answer 
for  the  privileges  they  had  enjoyed.  After  stating  that  the 
removal  of  Mr.  Milne  preached  a  sermon  to  the  unconverted, 
Mr.  Gray  proceeded  to  say  that  Mr.  Milne  leaving  his  present 
sphere  of  labour  was  a  loss,  not  only  to  the  Presbytery  and  his 
own  congregation,  but  to  the  city  of  Perth,  the  neighbourhood, 
and  to  the  whole  Church. 

'  Mr.  Bonar  of  Collace  then  engaged  in  prayer,  after  which  a 
part  of  the  Hundredth  Psalm  was  sung. 

'  Mr.  Wallace,  senior  member  of  session,  then  addressed  Mr. 
Milne,  and  feelingly  alluded  to  the  peace  and  harmony  which 
had  subsisted  between  him,  the  session,  and  congregation. 
Mr.  Wallace  having  exhorted  Mr.  Milne  to  be  courageous  in 
fighting  the  battles  of  the  Lord  in  that  land  of  idolatry  and 
spiritual  death  whither  he  was  bound,  affectionately  shook 
him  by  the  hand,  and  bade  him  farewell  on  behalf  of  the 
session. 

'  Mr.  Livingstone,  on  behalf  of  the  deacons'  court,  also  bade 
farewell  to  Mr.  Milne. 

'  The  chairman,  in  an  appropriate  address,  then  presented 
Mr.  Milne  with  an  elegant  and  highly  finished  spring  skeleton 
clock,  with  lever  escapement,  jewelled  in  five  actions,  with 
compensation  balance  and  maintaining  power.  It  strikes  the 
hours  on  a  gong,  and  the  half-hours  on  a  bell.  The  clock  is 
twenty-five  inches  by  eighteen,  and  is  placed  on  a  marble  stand. 
On  a  plate  of  pure  gold  attached  to  it  is  the  following  inscrip- 
tion : — "  Presented  to  the  Rev.  John  Milne,  minister  of  Free 
St.  Leonard's  Church,  Perth,  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  for 
India,  by  the  members  of  his  congregation,  in  token  of  their 
high  esteem  and  affection  for  him,  as  a  faithful  and  devoted 
pastor,  during  the  thirteen  years  he  has  laboured  amongst 
them.  Perth,  April  1853."  There  was  also  presented  to  Mr. 
Milne,  by  the  chairman,  a  purse  of  sovereigns,  to  purchase  such 


1 88  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

books  as  he  thought  were  required  by  him,  or  to  be  applied  in 
any  way  he  thought  proper.  In  presenting  the  above,  the 
chairman,  after  adverting  to  the  watchful  care  and  earnest 
labours  of  Mr.  Milne,  trusted  he  would  arrive  at  the  future 
scene  of  his  ministry  in  peace  and  safety,  and  be  a  blessing 
to  the  Church  and  the  world,  in  the  vast  region  of  India. 

'  On  receiving  the  gifts  presented  by  the  chairman,  Mr.  Milne 
said,  He  felt  assured  that,  on  the  present  occasion,  he  needed 
the  sympathies  of  his  congregation.  He  had  looked  forward  to 
separating  from  them  with  much  fear  and  trembling,  and  it  was 
his  original  intention  to  have  gone  away  quietly  on  the  forenoon 
of  Monday,  after  divine  service  in  the  church.  But  their  kindness 
had  detained  him,  and  he  was  there  not  their  unwilling  captive. 
He  might  say,  looking  at  his  present  position,  what  a  man  of 
God  said  in  different  circumstances, "  It  is  the  Lord,  let  Him  do 
what  seemeth  Him  good."  His  congregation  had  been  teaching 
him  divinity  after  a  new  fashion.  The  present  gifts  were  too 
much  for  him,  and  were  undeserved ;  they  put  the  copestone 
upon  their  magnificent  liberality  to  him.  He  before  had  received 
many  an  Ebenezer  at  their  hands  to  humble  him  in  the  dust, 
and  the  present  kindness  tended  more  to  do  so.  He  could 
make  no  return  for  such  liberality,  for  he  parted  with  them 
with  no  desire  to  meet  face  to  face,  till  they  met  in  glory.  He 
should  look  back  upon  his  present  congregation — if  he  might 
now  call  them  such — as  an  united,  peaceful,  and  prosperous 
people.  Mr.  Milne  then  returned  his  fervent  thanks  to  the 
members  of  session,  the  deacons'  court,  the  Sabbath-school 
teachers,  and  the  district  collectors.  He  then  replied  to  the 
statement  which  had  been  often  made  to  him,  Why  break  up  a 
fellowship  which  had  been  so  pleasant  ?  He  did  so  on  his  own 
responsibility,  and  he  was  not  afraid  to  face  it.  He  had  con- 
sidered the  matter  of  leaving  his  flock  in  light  and  in  darkness, 
and  he  was  convinced  that  God  called  him  so  to  do.  He  there- 
fore had  no  wavering  and  no  fear,  and  he  was  persuaded  his 
conviction  could  not  be  shaken.  Nor  was  he  afraid,  in  sepa- 
rating from  his  congregation,  but  the  same  brotherly  love 


FAREWELL  CONGREGATLONAL  MEETING.       189 

would  continue.  There  would,  he  was  persuaded,  be  no 
change  in  that  respect,  but  they  would  be  more  abundant 
in  the  Lord.  He  should  ask  three  things  :  first,  that  as  they 
had  received  and  honoured  him,  they  would  receive  and  honour 
his  Lord  and  Master  ;  the  second  request  was,  that  as  he  had 
had  many  sins,  failings,  and  shortcomings,  and  may  have 
been  partial,  having  the  feelings  of  the  man,  they  would  cast 
the  veil  of  charity  over  them ;  and  a  third  request  was,  that 
they  would  give  him  their  supplications ;  while  praying  for 
their  pastor,  he  hoped  they  would  pray  for  him  as  their  mis- 
sionary. Mr.  Milne  concluded  with  praying  that  the  Lord 
would  bless  the  congregation  of  which  he  had  been  minister. 

'A  part  of  the  8th  Paraphrase  was  sung,  after  which  the 
chairman  called  upon  the  Rev.  Mr.  Grierson  to  make  a  few 
remarks  and  engage  in  prayer. 

'  The  rev.  gentleman  said  that  Mr.  Milne  was  the  first  to  in- 
timate to  his  congregation,  in  1842,  the  coming  disruption  of 
the  Church  of  Scotland,  which  took  place  on  the  following 
year.  He  then  said  that,  come  what  will,  he  should  go  and 
preach  the  gospel,  as  he  had  no  incumbrance.  He  (Mr. 
Grierson)  considered  the  congregation  of  St.  Leonard's  an 
honoured  people.  They  had  had  the  gospel  faithfully  preached 
to  them.  They  had  been  distinguished  for  love  and  union, 
and,  as  had  been  stated  by  the  members  of  session  and  the 
deacons'  court,  no  diversity  of  opinion  had  prevailed  amongst 
them.  Moreover,  they  had  been  distinguished  amongst  the 
congregations  of  the  Free  Church  by  the  liberality  wtth  which 
they  had  contributed  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  But,  above  all, 
they  had  shown  far  greater  liberality  than  in  giving  the  gifts 
that  perish,  by  giving  up  their  minister  to  labour  in  the  sphere 
to  which  the  Lord  had  called  him,  and  that  in  the  spirit  of 
unanimity  and  love.  Mr.  Grierson  concluded  his  address  by 
exhorting  them  to  continue  to  be  distinguished  as  they  had 
been,  and  to  look  out  for  a  pastor  who  should  be  a  man  of 
wisdom  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

'A  portion  of  the  23d  Paraphrase  having  been  sung,  Mr. 


igo  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Dymock  pronounced  the  benediction,  and  the  vast  assemblage, 
amounting  to  nearly  two  thousand  persons,  then  separated, 
evidently  deeply  impressed  with  the  solemn  and  mournful 
services  in  which  they  had  been  engaged,  in  separating  from  a 
devoted  and  dearly  loved  minister  of  Christ.' 

He  lost  little  time  in  making  ready  to  start.  If  he  was 
not  quite  so  speedy  as  Mr.  Burns,  who,  immediately  after 
his  appointment  by  the  Synod  for  China,  took  up  his 
carpet  bag  to  set  off,  he  was  no  less  eager  to  get  his  work 
begun.  Leaving  Perth  on  Wednesday  13th,  he  had  a  day 
or  two  in  London ;  and  on  the  following  Wednesday  (20th) 
he  was  on  board  the  steamer,  '  ready  to  depart,'  and  his 
face  set  stedfastly  towards  the  East.  Thus  he  briefly  jour- 
nalizes at  this  time  : — 

'  On  Wednesday  (20th),  set  out  with  Dr.  Duff,  Mr.  Hawkins, 
and  Lady  Pirie,  for  Southampton,  and  embarked.  They  stood 
on  the  shore  waving  to  me  till  the  little  steamer  went  out  of 
sight.  I  am  treated  with  all  kindness  and  respect  here  ;  and 
after  two  days  of  storm  and  severe  sickness,  I  found  myself 
becoming  accustomed  to  this  kind  of  life.  It  is  a  strange  life, 
and  yet  I  feel  there  are  boundless  opportunities  of  usefulness 
among  the  many  young  men  who  will  soon  be  scattered  over 
the  eastern  world.  But  it  needs  much  watchfulness,  prayer, 
resolute,  s*elf-denying  effort,  and  constant  supplies  from  on  high. 
I  am  now  sitting  in  the  saloon  ;  the  band  is  playing,  and  the 
young  men  are  scattered  about,  most  variously  employed.  It 
may  seem  often  a  kind  of  hopeless  labour  in  such  a  soil ;  but 
God  will  make  it  to  grow.  Oh  that  I  might  be  kept  lively, 
holy,  spiritual !  Lord,  help  me  much,  much  !  I  wait  on  Thee. 
Give  me  deliverance  and  guidance,  that  I  may  walk  wisely, 
happily ;  and  that  I  may  help,  and  not  be  hurt.  I  see  the 
danger  of  sinking  ;  of  becoming  slothful  and  self-indulgent. 
Lord,  I  am  alone,  and  I  look  to  Thee.' 


VOYAGE.  191 

He  moves  on  over  the  waters,  sometimes  in  calm,  and 
sometimes  in  storm;  always,  in  so  far  as  his  strength 
allows,  seeking  to  sow  the  eternal  seed.  He  passes 
through  Egypt,  down  the  Red  Sea;  his  face  resolutely 
towards  India,  like  the  powerful  vessel  he  sails  in.  He 
suffers  somewhat  in  body,  both  from  sickness  and  from  an 
uncomfortable  cabin ;  heat  from  the  sun  by  day,  and  from 
the  boiler  by  night;  visited,  too,  by  cockroaches  under 
his  pillow,  at  which  he  murmurs  not,  but  accepts  all  as 
his  Father's  will.  For,  is  he  not  going  on  his  Father's 
special  errand  ?  Is  he  not  rapidly  nearing  India,  to  whose 
mighty  capital  he  is  carrying  the  good  news  of  God's  great 
love  in  the  gift  of  His  Son  ? 

On  Wednesday,  the  18th  of  May,  he  again  jour- 
nalizes : — 

'  Much  has  passed  since  last  entry ;  Gibraltar,  Malta,  Alex- 
andria, the  Nile,  Cairo,  the  Desert,  Aden,  have  all  been  passed. 
We  are  now  stretching  into  the  sea,  to  Ceylon.  I  have  had 
few  discomforts.  I  scarcely  feel  weariness,  and  would  not 
shorten  the  voyage,  even  if  I  could.  Yet  I  shall  be  glad,  I 
think,  when  I  get  to  land,  and  begin  my  regular  work.  Yet 
Thy  will  be  done.  I  would  not  be  in  Calcutta  a  moment  before 
Thy  time.  Oh  that  I  might,  in  my  Master's  spirit,  be  able 
to  say,  "  The  hour  is  come,  guide,  help,  and  bless  me."  I  see 
that  I  shall  have  trials  to  encounter,  in  the  fewness,  the  spirit, 
habits,  and  frequent  changes  of  my  future  flock.  But  all  things 
are  possible  to  Thee.  Only  strengthen  me  by  Thy  Spirit  in 
my  soul  unto  all  patience  and  longsuffering  with  joyfulness.  I 
pray  for  a  general,  perhaps  almost  unconscious,  preparation  for 
my  work.  I  think  Thou  wilt  do  it,  Lord.  I  feel  it  a  privilege 
to  have  had  dealings,  however  slight,  with  so  many  varieties  of 
character.  May  I  humbly,  thankfully,  earnestly,  perseveringly 
live  and  labour  on.' 


192  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Thus  he  girds  himself  for  his  work ;  taking  to  himself 
the  whole  armour  of  God.  He  casts  himself,  in  believing 
simplicity,  on  the  strength  of  the  Mighty.  He  approaches 
India  with  fear  and  trembling ;  yet  in  faith,  and  '  watching 
unto  prayer.'  He  has  one  entry  more  before  he  sets  his 
foot  on  Indian  soil : — ■ 

'  Saturday  Morning,  2%ik  May. — We  have  the  pilot  on 
board,  and  are  making  for  the  river,  expecting  to  reach  Cal- 
cutta to-night  about  seven.  It  has  been  in  many  respects  a 
most  speedy  and  prosperous  voyage.  From  being  put  into  a 
cabin  near  the  boiler,  and  so  intolerably  hot,  I  became  ill 
before  we  reached  Ceylon.  I  have  suffered  a  good  deal ;  but 
it  is  past.  At  Ceylon  I  was  moved  into  a  better  cabin,  and 
began  at  once  to  recover.  In  consequence  of  this  illness,  I 
could  neither  land  at  Point  de  Galle  nor  at  Madras.  I  felt 
it  a  trial  to  be  deprived  of  the  opportunity  of  meeting  the 
brethren  there ;  but  saw  at  once  that  it  was  duty  not  to 
attempt  it.  Looking  back  upon  the  way,  I  see  much  cause 
for  thankfulness  and  humiliation.  My  fears  have  been  dis- 
appointed, my  hopes  exceeded,  promises  have  been  fulfilled, 
and  unlooked-for  opportunities  of  being  useful, — studying 
character,  and  coming  into  peaceful  contact  with  other  minds 
of  the  most  various  kind, — constantly  afforded  me.  I  look 
back  with  wonder  upon  all  this  intercourse,  and  leave  it  with 
my  Lord,  assured  and  confident  that,  though  carried  on  in 
much  weakness,  and  under  diverse  disadvantages,  it  yet  has 
not  been  in  vain.  If  it  be  Thy  will,  may  I  hear  of  these  per- 
sons from  time  to  time,  or  even  meet  with  them.  I  think 
the  Lord  has  preserved  me  not  a  little  from  my  besetting 
sins,  and  enabled  me  to  walk  safely  amid  the  temptations  and 
snares  of  this  kind  of  life.  The  chief  want,  perhaps,  has  been 
an  opportunity  for  private  prayer.  The  motion  of  the  ship  I 
have  found  a  hindrance.  True,  if  there  was  much  inclination, 
nothing  could  prevent.    Thus  prayer  has  too  often  been  medita- 


JOURNAL.  193 

tion.  Perhaps  the  Lord  has  sent  me  sickness  just  to  force  me 
nearer  to  Him.  At  least  this  is  the  light  in  which  I  like  to 
view  His  afflictive  dealings.  Lord,  remember  my  relatives, 
friends,  and  flock  at  home.  I  have  separated  myself  from 
them  ;  but  Thou  art  in  the  midst  of  them.  Cast  the  skirt  over 
all  my  sins  among  them,  and  may  nothing  be  remembered  but 
what  may  be  in  some  way  useful  to  them.  Lord,  teach  me 
to  pray.  Oh  that  I  might  live  in  the  secret  place,  and  put 
prayers  into  Thy  golden  censer,  O  Lord  !  And  now,  when  I 
enter  on  a  new  sphere,  oh  that  I  might  be  strangely  humbled, 
purified,  guided  !  Lord,  leave  me  not  under  the  known  or 
unknown  dominion  of  any  of  my  sins.  Thou  wilt  subdue  our 
corruptions.  I  ask  deliverance  from  self-seeking.  Take  Thy 
right  place,  O  Lord,  and  be  all  in  all.  Let  self  be  growingly 
eclipsed  and  forgotten.  Let  me  decrease,  and  do  Thou  in- 
crease. Let  me  learn  to  rejoice  with  them  that  rejoice,  and 
weep  with  them  that  weep.  I  feel  that  the  serpent's  brood  are 
in  me  ;  let  me  watch  and  pray.  There  is  no  more  condemna- 
tion to  Christ's  dear  ones,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh.  .  .  . 
I  see  that  I  am  entering  a  scene  of  trial  and  a  place  of  the 
shadow  of  death.  Help  me  to  watch  and  strive.  Save  from 
sloth,  from  merely  enduring  life,  instead  of  living  to  Thy  glory. 
Lord,  help  me.  Thou  knowest  my  heart.  Search  and  try,  and 
lead  me  in  the  way  everlasting.  O  my  Saviour  !  a  little,  help- 
less, foolish  child,  I  now  implicitly  commit  myself  to  Thee. 
I  know  that,  by  Thy  grace  in  the  past,  I  have  been  brought 
hitherto.  O  my  Lord  !  I  cast  myself  on  Thee.  Leave  me  not, 
forsake  me  not,  forget  me  not.  Let  me  never  misconstrue  or 
judge  hardly  of  Thy  dealings.  May  I  trust,  and  hope,  and 
rejoice.  Seek  and  find  Thy  servant.  Let  Thy  strong  hand 
be  my  help.  Graciously  use  me,  bless  me  ;  make  me  willing 
to  learn,  and  willing  to  teach ;  willing  to  be  led,  and  willing 
to  lead.  I  am  uttering  all  my  words  before  Thee.  Thou 
knowest  how  stripped  and  bare  I  am.  I  have  no  idol  to  bring 
and  kill  save  this  indwelling  corruption  ;  and  I  do  think  I 
should  like  that  it  were  slain  ;   and  that,  in  a  new,  strange 

N 


194  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,  I  might  serve  and  honour  Thee 
henceforth.  This  inner  war  now  lies  specially  before  me.  I 
expect  in  this  new  land  to  be  hedged  up  by  outward  circum- 
stances. But  just  so  much  the  more  may  I  fight  against  the 
evil  that  is  within.  O  my  Lord !  to  Thee  I  look,  on  Thee  I 
wait.  May  my  character  be  transparent,  and  my  life  blame- 
less, holy,  earnest.  I  commit  myself  wholly  and  eternally  to 
Thee.  I  am  well  pleased  with  Thy  person,  offices,  benefits, 
cross,  rod,  and  all  Thy  ways.  Those  whom  I  have  ever  truly 
loved  have  been  Thy  people,  and  anything  worth  the  name  of 
joy  has  been  found  in  Thy  service.  I  love  to  praise  Thee,  and 
to  hear  Thee  praised.  Lord,  help  me  !  .  .  .  The  men  are  busy 
cleaning  the  cabin.  It  is  the  end  of  a  voyage,  and  the  pre- 
paration for  a  new  one.  I  accept  the  lesson.  O  my  Lord  ! 
sprinkle  me  with  hyssop  ;  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than 
snow.  Give  me  the  peace,  the  softness,  the  joy  of  Thy  for- 
given, gentle,  hopeful  children.  Bless  me  in  my  meeting  with 
friends  to-night.  I  have  no  plans,  yet  Thou  knowest  my 
foolish  heart.  Oh,  how  great  is  Thy  goodness,  which  Thou 
hast  laid  up  for  them  that  fear  Thee  !' 

He  was  not  idle  on  board,  though  unable  to  do  so 
much  as  he  wished.  He  found  opportunities,  from  day 
to  day,  of  doing  or  speaking  something  for  eternity.  His 
light  could  not  but  shine  during  that  voyage,  and  of  this 
there  were  found  some  traces  on  the  vessel's  return.  A 
gentleman  coming  from  India  in  that  same  year  (1853) 
was  surprised  to  find  tracts  and  little  books  lying  about 
the  steamer.  He  asked  how  and  by  whom  this  had  been 
done.  He  was  told  that,  last  voyage,  a  '  curious  gentle- 
man '  had  been  on  board,  going  to  India.  Every  even- 
ing he  used  to  go  among  the  sailors,  talking  to  them 
and  listening  to  their  stories.  When  they  had  done  with 
their  talk,  he  would  take  out  his  Bible  from  his  pocket, 


PECULIAR  DOINGS  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD.     195 

and  read  a  portion  to  them.  Then  he  prayed  with  them. 
It  was  he  who  had  given  the  tracts  and  books.  There 
was  no  difficulty  in  discovering  who  this  '  curious  gentle- 
man '  was. 

On  the  same  voyage,  he  went  about  among  the  cabin- 
boys,  getting  hold  of  them  whenever  he  could.  He  used 
to  promise  them  a  sixpence  or  a  shilling  if  they  would 
learn  a  certain  psalm  or  chapter,  and  repeat  it  to  him. 
This  was  his  practice  on  shore  as  well  as  at  sea ;  and  his 
card  would  frequently  be  handed  in  to  Mrs.  Milne  by 
some  boy,  with  this  pencilled  on  it,  '  Give  the  bearer 
sixpence  [or  a  shilling  as  it  might  be]  if  he  repeats  the 
53d  of  Isaiah,'  or  55th,  as  the  case  might  be.  His 
devices  for  getting  hold  of  people,  or  getting  a  word 
spoken  to  them,  were  as  various  as  his  zeal  was  unflag- 
ging. In  Perth,  or  on  the  road,  he  might  be  seen  helping 
a  baker  to  carry  his  board  or  basket,  or  a  man  with  a 
wheelbarrow,  that  he  might  get  an  opportunity  of  speak- 
ing to  them.  A  Roman  Catholic  woman,  who  went  about 
as  a  hawker,  selling  plates  and  dishes,  tells  that,  meeting 
him  once  as  she  was  coming  down  a  long  stair,  he  said, 
to  her,  '  You  are  looking  weak ; '  and  then  he  insisted  on 
carrying  her  basket  down  to  the  street,  dropping  a  word 
as  he  went.  These  were  frequent  occurrences ;  and  he 
would  say  on  such  occasions,  '  You  know  we  should  bear 
one  another's  burdens,'  or  some  such  word.1     Some  would 

1  One  is  struck  with  the  resemblance  between  some  of  Mr.  Milne's 
ways  and  those  of  Lieutenant  Blackmore,  as  narrated  in  his  London  by 
Moonlight  Mission: — 'At  the  bottom  of  Edgware  Road,'  says  the 
Lieutenant,    '  I  overtook  a  poor  old  woman  with  a  large  basket  of 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


have  thought  it  beneath  his  dignity  to  hand  his  coat  to 
a  poor  man  who  complained  that  he  could  not  get  to 
church  for  want  of  clothes ;  or  to  pat  the  heads  of  the 
ragged  children  whom  he  passed  on  the  street,  and 
speak  kind  words  to  them ;  or  to  rush  out  of  his  house 
one  snowy  day  to  the  Inch  (or  public  green)  to  help  a 
poor  woman  to  get  down  her  washing-ropes;  but  he 
never  thought  of  his  own  comfort  or  dignity  when  he 
could  assist  another.  Whether  on  shore  or  on  ship-board, 
in  Scotland  or  in  India,  his  benevolence  and  obligingness 
were  the  same.  In  one  pocket  you  might  find  a  bottle 
of  wine  for  some  sick  person,  in  another  a  bunch  of 
grapes,  and  in  another  a  packet  of  tracts  or  books.  He 
was  '  ready,  aye  ready,'  for  every  good  word  and  work. 

linen.  I  offered  my  assistance,  which  she  gladly  accepted.  As  we 
walked  along,  she  on  one  side  of  the  basket  and  I  on  the  other,  I  had 
an  excellent  opportunity  of  speaking  to  her  of  the  love  of  Him  who 
said,  "  Come  unto  Me,  and  I  will  give  you  rest."  '  Again,  the  Lieu- 
tenant tells  us  this  :  '  At  the  bottom  of  Holborn  Hill,  I  overtook  an 
old  man  with  a  heavy  load  on  a  truck.  I  said,  I'll  get  hold  of  this 
man's  heart,  if  I  can,  and  then  speak  to  him  of  Jesus.  "  You've  got  a 
heavy  load  there,  my  friend  ;  I'll  give  you  a  lift."  I  took  hold  of  the 
pole,  while  the  old  man  pushed.  Arriving  at  the  top,  where  there  is 
a  public  house,  the  old  man  pulled  out  a  penny,  saying,  "  You'll  take 
a  drop  of  beer,  sir."  "  No,  thank  you, "  I  said ;  "  but  I'll  help  you  a 
little  farther ; "  and  as  we  walked  along  we  talked  of  the  love  of  Him 
who,  though  He  was  rich,  for  our  sakes  became  poor.  He  listened 
with  eagerness ;  and  at  parting,  held  out  his  hand,  with  thanks.  A 
gentleman  afterwards  calling,  asked  me  if  I  had  one  day  helped  to 
wheel  up  a  truck.  "Yes,  I  remember  doing  such  a  thing."  "Do 
you  think  this  worthy  of  an  officer  or  a  gentleman  1 "  "  Well,  whether 
it  was  that  or  not,  it  was  not  unbecoming  a  Christian."  "  I  believe, 
sir,  you're  not  quite  right  in  the  bead."  "Perhaps  I  am  not.  It's 
not  the  first  time  I  have  been  thought  a  fool.     Good  morning. " ' 


NO  HALF-DISCIPLESHIP.  197 

He  '  called  nothing  common  or  unclean '  whereby  he 
could  serve  the  Master,  or  comfort  a  disciple,  or  arrest 
a  wanderer. 

In  his  Family  Bible  there  is  the  following  entry,  which 
bears  upon  the  events  of  this  chapter : — 

'  Loosed  from  my  charge  of  Free  St.  Leonard's  on  the  23d 
February  1853,  in  order  to  go  to  Calcutta,  according  to  the 
will  of  the  Lord,  I  trust.  Pardon  and  take  away  what  is  mine 
in  this  matter ;  stablish  and  strengthen  what  is  Thine  own. 
Goodness  and  mercy  have  followed  me  hitherto — Ebenezer ! 
And  I  shall  be  preserved  from  every  snare  and  evil  work — 
Jehovah- J ireh.  Landed  at  Calcutta,  after  a  speedy  and  pros- 
perous voyage,  on  Sabbath,  29th  May  1853,  and  commenced 
my  ministry  in  the  Free  Church  that  evening.' 

A  very  important  portion  of  his  life  now  begins.  It  is 
to  a  new  wotk,  and  in  a  new  country,  and  among  new 
people,  that  he  is  called.  But  wherever  he  is,  he  shows 
himself  the  man  of  God  and  the  servant  of  Jesus  Christ. 
He  is  the  Christian  and  the  minister  always.  The  salt 
never  loses  its  savour.  His  first  love  never  cools.  As 
Luther  said  of  a  friend,  '  He  lives  what  we  preach.' 


CHAPTER   XIII. 
1853-1854. 

IN     INDIA. 

HAVING  reached  Calcutta,  Mr.  Milne  lost  not  an 
hour  in  beginning  his  work.  It  was  on  Sabbath, 
May  29,  that  he  landed,  and  passing  almost  from  the 
steamer  to  the  church,  he  preached  in  the  evening  to  the 
congregation,  of  which  he  had  undertaken  the  charge,  from 
the  text,  '  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do  ? '  He  was 
not,  however,  regularly  inducted  till  the  12th  of  June. 

Looking  round  him  on  the  mighty  India  which  was 
now  to  be  his  home,  and  marking  the  eager  worldliness 
on  all  sides,  he  exclaims :  *  Poor  India !  Its  cadetships  and 
writerships  are  sought  after ;  but  its  schools  and  pulpits 
few  seem  to  care  for.'  How  is  it,  we  may  ask,  that  among 
the  thousands  of  Christians  and  Christian  ministers  at 
home,  so  many  seek  their  own,  and  so  few  the  things  that 
are  Jesus  Christ's  ?  Worldly  men  rush  out  in  thousands 
to  become  rich;  Christian  men  lag  behind,  when  souls 
only  are  to  be  won.  For  the  corruptible  gold  multitudes 
compete  ;  for  the  incorruptible,  but  a  handful. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  days  Mr.  Milne  had  overtaken  a 


THOUGHTS  ON  WORK.  199 

considerable  amount  of  work  ;  so  that,  in  a  fortnight  after 
his  arrival,  he  could  write  in  his  Journal : — 

lJztne  \6lh. — Chowringhee  Road. — Little  more  than  a  fort- 
night, and  yet  how  much  has  passed  !  I  have  visited  many  of 
my  people,  the  religious  institutions,  become  acquainted  with 
ministers  and  missionaries,  and  am  as  much  at  home  as  if  J 
had  lived  here  for  years.  I  acknowledge  Thy  kindness,  O  my 
Lord  !  in  the  warm  welcome  I  have  received  from  them,  in  the 
large  open  door  that  seems  set  before  me,  and  in  the  hope  and 
freedom  from  care  which  I  enjoy.  I  see  that  it  must  be  a  daily 
taking  up  of  the  cross.  The  heat,  my  bodily  uneasiness,  and 
the  dark  heathenism  all  around,  with  the  distance  from  be- 
loved friends,  make  it  a  real  sacrifice  to  be  here.  Yet  I  feel 
that  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  can  carry  me  on.  May  I  daily 
kindle  my  dim  lamp,  and  warm  my  cold  heart,  and  renew  my 
failing  strength  at  this  changeless  glory,  and  so  go  on  my  way 
rejoicing.  Let  me  feel  increasingly  the  power  of  the  truth 
to  sanctify,  gladden,  and  animate  to  all  patient  suffering  and 
earnest  well-doing. 

'  June  ijth. — I  see  more  and  more  that  if  I  am  to  live  in 
some  measure  of  holy  activity  here,  I  must  fix  my  eye  on  the 
eternal  rest,  and  press  through,  quite  irrespective  of  present 
experiences  and  events.  There  is  here  a  bodily  irritation  from 
the  insects,  and  a  lassitude  from  the  heat.  There  is  the  absence 
of  all  early  friends  who  knew  and  were  known.  There  is  the 
impossibility  of  moving  about  during  part  of  the  day.  There 
is  the  pain  of  seeing  multitudes  perishing,  and  yet,  from  igno- 
rance of  the  language,  being  unable  to  speak  a  single  word. 
How  can  one  bear  up  in  such  circumstances,  unless,  like 
Abraham,  he  determine  not  to  look  at  them,  but  to  press  on 
to  the  glory  which  is  to  follow?     Help  me  to  persevere  ! 

'  Afternoon. — Various  frames  of  mind.  But,  after  all,  am 
setting  my  face  forward  ;  and  yet  not  in  a  self-seeking  or  self- 
rejoicing  spirit, but  broken  and  weak.  Lord,  raise  and  revive ; 
yet  so  that  I  may  still  be  broken  and  contrite. 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


'  June  \%th. — Saturday  morning. — I  have  had  some  thoughts 
of  the  blessedness  of  a  complete  deliverance  from  a  legal  spirit, 
and  a  quiet  unsuspecting  rest  and  abiding  in  the  free  love  and 
faithfulness  of  God.  How  slow  we  are  to  come  to  this  !  And 
hence  all  our  sinful  fears  of  being  overcome  by  temptation, 
and  failing  in  duty.  Lord,  help  me  to  such  growing  assurance 
of  Thy  love  that  I  may  walk  in  peace,  and  especially  in  the 
prospect  of  another  Sabbath.  Save  from  the  workings  of  an 
unpurged,  unreconciled  heart.  Make  me  fruitful  and  full  of 
sap,  to  show  that  Thou  art  righteous. 

'June  igth. — Sabbath  night. — Varied  experiences  to-day. 
All  is  new  here ;  and  I  find  that  all  day  there  must  be  the 
carrying  of  the  cross.  I  fear,  Lord,  Thou  seest  me  often  shrink- 
ing, surprised,  languid  ;  but  Thou  canst  subdue,  and  quicken, 
and  uphold.  Grant  me  to  have  a  lively,  growing  sense  of  Thy 
nearness,  and  of  the  seasonable  help  which  Thou  ministerest. 
Oh,  what  a  thought  it  is,  if  habitually  realized,  that  Thou  art 
watching,  praying,  ministering,  upholding  !  Lord,  let  me  not 
be  brutish  to  overlook  Thy  benefits.  I  have  been  seeking  the 
clean  heart.  I  now  seek  the  tender,  heedful,  mindful  one.  O 
my  Lord,  how  we  stand,  as  it  were,  on  the  very  brink  of  the 
mightiest,  most  blessed  truths,  and  yet  scarce  look  at  them ! 
Draw  me  ;  bring  it  before  me  again  and  again.  Deal  with  me 
as  with  Peter, — show  me  again  and  again  ;  as  with  Zechariah, — 
waken  me  again  and  again.  I  have  seen  my  weakness  in  two 
affairs  to-day ;  and  yet  I  think  that  I  have  been  guided  aright 
in  both.  O  my  Lord  !  let  my  character  be  transparent  here  ; 
and  let  me  be  a  blessing. 

'  June  10th. — Monday  afternoon. — I  have  moved  about  a 
good  deal  to-day,  and  come  into  contact  with  minds  in  many 
different  states.  I  quite  feel  that,  as  minister  of  Christ,  I  must 
be  the  teacher,  the  brother,  and  the  preacher.  Help  me,  Lord, 
to  fulfil  my  office,  and  not  to  fall  beneath,  nor  yet  strive  to  go  be- 
yond, my  calling.  "  Let  Thy  covenant  be  with  me  of  life  and 
peace."  I  find  the  daily  cross ;  but  have  I  not  vowed  to  take 
it  up  daily?    Let  me  not  forget  nor  grudge.     I  do  not  look 


TRAXSPAREXCY  AXD  GEXEROSITY.  zo\ 

back,  but  I  do  look  forward,  and  heaven  brightens  and  is  more 
attractive.' 

All  who  knew  him,  or  even  met  with  him  but  once,  recog- 
nised in  him  that  transparency  of  character,  that  grace  for 
which,  in  the  above  extract,  he  prays.  He  had  no  reserve, 
no  guile ;  he  sought  to  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence 
toward  God  and  man.  With  great  mildness  of  speech 
and  kindliness  of  tone,  he  was  honest  and  straightforward, 
both  in  the  pulpit  and  out  of  it.  His  conscience  was  tender, 
and  showed  its  tenderness  in  little  things  as  well  as  great. 
It  troubled  him,  for  instance,  as  he  told  me,  that  during 
his  later  months  he  could  not  always  kneel  for  prayer,  on 
account  of  the  heart-complaint,  but  felt  it  necessary  to 
stand,  or  perhaps  walk  about.  There  was  no  heedlessness 
about  him  as  to  what  he  did.  He  considered  and  weighed 
everything.  He  had  a  purpose  in  all  his  doings,  even 
those  that  looked  most  hasty  and  impulsive.  He  had  less 
of  routine  about  him  than  most ;  less  of  stiffness  in  any 
part  of  his  life  or  intercourse  with  others. 

'June  21. — Tuesday  morning. — I  see  some  difficulty  before 
me  in  money  matters.  I  have  been  too  unheedful  of  my 
matters.  But,  Lord,  Thou  knowest  that  I  have  done  this  in 
simplicity ;  and  if  there  is  a  net  here,  in  which  I  am  caught, 
I  feel  sure  that  Thou  wilt  bring  me  out.  My  eyes  are  ever 
toward  Thee,  and  Thou  wilt  bring  my  feet  out  of  the  net.' 

Such  an  entry  as  the  above  is  quite  characteristic,  and 
just  what  we  should  have  expected.  Both  in  Perth  and  in 
Calcutta  he  showed  great  carelessness  in  money  matters. 
It  would  not  be  wise  to  give  details ;  but  the  instances  of 
his  liberality,  his  generosity,  his  putting  away  money  when 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


it  came  to  him,  of  his  refusing  to  be  rich,  would,  if  we 
were  at  liberty  to  give  them,  make  some,  who  think  them- 
selves liberal,  ashamed  of  their  covetousness. 

It  is  now  nearly  thirty  years  ago  since  a  friend  was  mak- 
ing inquiries  about  Robert  M'Cheyne,  of  whom  he  had 
heard  somewhat,  but  whom  he  had  not  seen.  *  They  tell 
me,'  he  said,  '  that  he  is  immensely  generous ;  that  he 
cares  nothing  for  money,  but  gives  away  all  he  has.'  It 
was  a  true  report,  and  it  added  not  a  little  to  the  influence 
exercised  by  that  man  of  God  during  his  brief  course 
among  us,  that  he  was  known  to  be  so  open-handed  in  all 
things ;  for  nothing  so  destroys  ministerial  weight,  either 
in  the  pulpit  or  out  of  it,  as  covetousness  or  penuriousness. 
Mr.  Milne  was  no  less  known  for  his  liberality  than  his 
early  friend.  His  hand  was  always  open;  and  it  was 
to  him  '  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.'  He  was 
not  so  fond  of  receiving  gifts  as  of  bestowing  them ;  and 
we  remember  well  a  brotherly  talk  as  to  the  propriety  of 
his  conduct  in  returning  certain  gifts  which  had  been  sent 
to  him.  We  could  not  convince  him  at  the  time  that  he 
was  wrong;  but  he  admitted  that  there  might  be  pride 
in  such  refusals  which  it  was  needful  to  guard  against. 
During  his  first  years  in  Perth  he  used  (as  he  told  me)  to 
go  to  the  bank  at  certain  times,  draw  out  all  the  money 
that  had  been  placed  at  his  credit,  pay  his  bills  and  give 
the  rest  away ;  thus  providing  the  bags  which  wax  not  old, 
and  laying  up  the  '  treasure  in  the  heavens  which  faileth 
not.' 

In  his  entry  of  the  25th  of  June,  he  refers  to  his  bodily 
trials  from  the  new  climate ;  but  thinks  he  is  getting  out 


INTERCESSIONS.  203 

of  this  '  irritating,  feverish  condition  of  body.'     Then  he 
adds : — 

'  Deliver  me  from  carefulness.  Have  I  not  given  all  up  to 
Thee  ?  Am  I  not  professedly  a  whole  burnt-offering  ?  Help 
me  more  and  more  to  walk  by  faith,  and  not  in  bondage  in 
any  way  to  this  present  world.  O  my  God,  bring  me  more  and 
more  under  the  dominion  of  the  world  to  come,  so  that  I 
shall  be  satisfied  with  its  joy  and  glory,  and  be  indifferent  to 
things  of  time.  I  ask  Thy  blessing  this  day.  Help  me  to 
prepare  for  to-morrow,  and  to  be  much  in  the  exercise  of  sup- 
plication. Lord,  endear  this  exercise.  May  I  see  that  true 
love  will  find  its  chief  outlet  here. 

iJune29. —  Wednesday. — Varied  experiences,  yet  many  loving- 
kindnesses  from  God  and  man.  My  Lord  surely  "  dawts"1  his 
weak,  foolish  child.  ...  I  am  conscious  of  a  slight  occasional 
drawing  to  a  closer  walk  with  God.  Lord,  help  me  to  be  Thy 
simple,  truthful  child,  coming  to  Thee  in  holy  familiarity. 
Bless  my  friends  at  home ;  those  whom  I  have  been  unable  to 
write  to,  etc.  ;  keep  them  from  wearying  or  suspecting  that  I 
forget  them. 

1  Jtdy  2d. — Saturday. — Give  me,  O  my  Lord,  heart  and 
activity.  How  easily  I  allow  religious  work,  people,  plans, 
exercises  to  take  Thy  place  !  (Help  me  to  be  alone  with  Thee, 
near' Thee,  delighting  in  Thee,  hoping  in  Thee.)  To  give  way 
to/this  is  a  slow,  withering  death.  All  my  springs  are  in  Thee. 
Bless  my  friends  at  home;  in  China  and  these  eastern  regions  ; 
here  and  in  Madras,  Bombay,  Ceylon,  Alexandria,  Malta,  Gib- 
raltar, London,  Liverpool,  Newcastle,  and  all  through  dear  Scot- 
land. Bless  my  relatives  and  friends  in  the  West  Indies  and 
America.  Thou  lookest  down,  and  seest  all  at  this  moment. 
Let  them  be  blest  more  than  I  can  ask.  Give  some  blessing, 
much  blessing  to-morrow,  and  all  the  week.  Thou  knowest 
the  engagements,  and  opportunities,  and  meetings  with  friends 

1  'Dawts,' — fondles,  caresses;  an  old  Scotch  word,  often  used  by 
Samuel  Rutherford. 


204  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

that  lie  before  me.  Pity  my  weakness,  languor,  emptiness,  dry- 
ness, want  of  power,  and  give  me  grace  to  glorify  Thee,  and 
to  do  good. 

'  July  2>d. — Sabbath. — I  feel  in  full  health  to-day.  Give  me 
spiritual  strength  and  grace.  I  have  been  thinking  of  Ps. 
cxxxii.,  in  connection  with  Is.  lxi.  10  :  "  Let  thy  priests  be 
clothed  with  salvation."  "  I  will  clothe  my  priests  with  salva- 
tion." And  now  in  Isaiah, "  He  hath  clothed  me."  Often  what 
we  find  only  a  seed  in  an  early  part  of  the  word,  we  meet  with 
afterwards  a  full-grown,  fruitful  tree.' 

The  subsequent  entries  for  some  weeks  are  fluctuating 
in  their  tone.  The  heat  prostrates  him ;  the  climate  seems 
as  if  sapping  his  constitution ;  difficulties  confront  him ; 
success  is  small;  the  enemy  is  powerful;  the  mass  of 
idolatry  appals;  he  stands  dismayed  before  that  'vast  pile 
of  human  mockeries ;'  the  inconsistencies  of  Christians 
depress  him ;  his  old  friends  are  far  away ;  he  seems  as  if 
falling  into  one  of  his  old  lownesses.  But  the  cloud  passes 
off;  his  'horizon  clears,'  as  he  expresses  it;  he  gives 
'  thanks  to  the  Lord  for  softening  of  heart ;'  adding,  '  Save 
me  from  causing  offence,  or  hindering  Thy  work;  rather 
take  me  away  with  a  stroke.  Give  tenderness  of  heart ; 
love  to  Thee  and  holy  things  ;  grant  holiness.'  He  is  not 
quite  delivered.  Troubled  thoughts  force  themselves  in. 
He  wonders  if  he  is  in  the  right  place  ;  whether  he  has  not 
done  wrong  in  leaving  Perth  ;  and  then  adds,  '  I  desire  to 
walk  in  Thy  light.'  Perhaps,  in  these  variations  or  perturba- 
tions, he  is  not  at  all  unlike  his  brethren,  either  in  India  or 
at  home ;  but  he  gives  way  to  what  some  resist ;  he  speaks 
out  what  others  repress.  The  power  or  habit  of  self-con- 
trol is  a  great  thing  for  a  Christian.     It  helps  to  steady 


SIFTINGS.  205 

him,  both  in  feeling  and  in  action;  it  saves  him  from  hasty- 
plans  and  inconsistencies.  Like  the  strong  hand  of  the 
pilot  grasping  a  strong  helm,  it  keeps  him  from  drifting 
or  deviating.  Mr.  Milne  often  spoke  of '  the  iron  will '  of 
some.  He  had  himself  a  thoroughly  vigorous  will,  when 
his  health  was  good ;  but  he  sometimes  succumbed  to  his 
own  varying  moods,  instead  of  resisting  them,  when  de- 
pression for  a  season  had  taken  the  pith  out  of  his  natural 
character.  But  these  many  tossings  sifted  him ;  drawing 
out  his  whole  man,  both  in  its  strength  and  weakness,  and 
delivering  him  from  all  self-leanings.  He  needed  them  to 
make  him  what  he  was,  to  fit  him  for  the  work  he  had  to 
do,  and  to  make  his  light  shine.     Nil  thus,  si  deficit  ignis. 

'August  24th. — I  was  preaching  on  Sabbath  upon  that  text, 
"  Take  heed,  lest  there  be  in  any  of  you  an  evil  heart  of  un- 
belief." I  can  see  that  almost  all  my  sorrow  has  sprung  from 
this.  Yet  how  unwatchful  and  uncareful  to  keep  my  heart ! 
But  there  is  another  keeper,  Is.  xl.  27-29.  Here  is  the  heart 
of  unbelief  [saying],  God  has  forgotten  me,  He  does  not  care 
for  me,  He  does  not  deliver  me.  How  does  Jehovah-Rophi 
deal  with  this  sore  disease  ?  Why,  what  reason  have  you  for 
these  hard  thoughts  of  me  ?  Adam,  why  dost  thou  think  that 
I  have  withheld  thee  from  good?  Cain,  why  is  thy  counte- 
nance fallen  ?  Jonah,  why  angry  ?  Disciples,  why  are  ye  fear- 
ful ?  Examine  and  see  how  groundless  and  sinful.  Pride  and 
self-will.  The  prince  of  darkness  increases  gloom,  and  all  is 
distorted.  What  damage  to  our  own  peace,  to  the  comfort  of 
others,  to  the  glory  of  God,  when  thou  sayest  thy  way  is  hid  ! 
But  not  only,  Why  dost  thou  doubt  ?  but,  Why  dost  thou  not 
believe  ?  Hast  thou  not  heard?  [He  is]  mighty, — look  at  His 
works  ;  not  a  sparrow  falleth ;  consider  the  lilies.  Wise, — how 
unsearchable  His  judgments ;  wait  and  see  His  end,  that  He  is 
very  merciful.     Good, — He  giveth  liberally  unto  the  evil  and 


206  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

unthankful.  He  does  not  despise ;  His  bringings  down  and 
weakenings  are  in  order  to  make  way  for  strengthening.  Lord, 
help  me  to  feed  on  this,  and  to  feed  others.  Let  truth  dwell  in 
the  heart ;  let  the  lip  spread  it  abroad.  Pity  those  who  have 
trials  and  temptations,  and  yet  who  "have  not  heard,"  who 
"  do  not  know."  Shall  I  ever  become  crucified  ?  Why  go  I 
about  to  build  up  my  own  glory  ?  Why  not  willing  to  see,  and 
that  others  should  see,  that  I  am  nothing  ?  Lord  help  me  ! 
I  desire  to  be  poor  in  spirit,  and  to  take  Thy  yoke,  and  learn  of 
Thee.     Bless  me  this  day.     Live  and  walk  and  work  in  me.' 

Subsequent  entries  are  for  some  time  much  of  the  same 
cast.  Hope  and  fear,  sunlight  and  dimness,  rest  and 
trouble  alternate.  Yet  never  once  does  the  question  of 
his  own  sonship  emerge.  That  was  all  settled  long  ago. 
In  all  the  varying  frames  which  this  journal  records, 
doubt  has  no  place.  He  speaks  of  God,  and  to  God,  as 
one  who  knew  him  and  was  known  of  him.  He  is  cast  down 
when  confronted  with  the  immensity  of  wickedness  and 
idolatry  and  worldliness ;  he  asks  if  he  is  the  man  for 
such  a  position  ;  he  is  weak  in  body,  but  his  hold  of  the 
cross  is  always  the  same.  It  is  with  him  as  with  the 
apostle  in  his  work  and  warfare  :  '  As  unknown,  and 
yet  well  known  ;  as  dying,  and,  behold,  we  live  ;  as  chas- 
tened, and  not  killed;  as  sorrowful,  yet  always  rejoicing' 
(2  Cor.  vi.  9,  10).  He  says  calmly,  yet  sorrowfully, 
'  There  is  nothing  to  cheer  here  but  the  favour  of  the 
Lord  ;  none  know  or  care  what  you  are  doing  ; '  yet,  when 
lying  down  tired  at  night,  he  speaks  of  'peaceful  days,' 
and  a  'sense  of  the  blessed  liberty  which  Christ  gives.' 
He  speaks  of  his  visits  to  the  hospital ;  of  missionary 
meetings,  and  his  enjoyment  of  them  ;  of  his  intercourse 


THE  INNER  LIFE.  207 

with  young  men  ;  of  fellowship  with  brethren ;  of  work 
among  the  heathen.  '  Save  us,'  he  cries,  '  from  seeking 
anything  lower  than  conversion ;  from  falling  into  mere 
routine ;  let  us  avoid  inflating  them  with  the  idea  of  their 
importance.'  And  then  we  find  him  saying,  '  I  desire  to 
live  for  my  Lord.  Deliver  me  from  lower  aims.  Let  me 
not  seek  the  honour  that  cometh  from  man.  Let  not  my 
life  be  a  lie.'  And  then  again,  '  A  peaceful  day,  though 
not  strong  .  .  .  Make  me  prayerful,  calm,  self-recollected, 
trustful ...  I  have  been  kept,  but  I  have  not  been  watchful ; 
a  foolish  child.  I  war  not  with  flesh  and  blood,  but  with 
principalities  and  powers.  .  .  .  Give  me  the  right,  Christian, 
truly  heroic  frame  of  spirit.'  At  another  time  he  says,  in 
reference  to  the  previous  day:  '  No  entry  yesterday;  I  did 
not  seek  my  Lord,  and  so  it  was  a  useless  and  unprofit- 
able day.  Lord  heal  me.'  At  another  time  :  '  I  have  had 
several  wounds  to-day,  and  see  that  only  the  shield  of 
faith  can  save  from  pain  and  sorrow.  I  would  be  daily 
putting  on  the  whole  armour  of  God.'  His  entry  one 
Monday  morning  is  worth  noting :  '  Have  been  to  the 
hospital,  and  so  not  enough  yet  with  God.  .  .  .  Peaceful 
all  day.'  Again  :  '  Peaceful,  yet  not  very  lively.  Would 
that  my  soul  and  heart  sprung  joyfully  to  my  Lord ! 
.  .  .  May  I  not  fear  or  honour  man  above  my  Lord ;  but 
may  my  heart  at  all  times  flee  to  Thee.'  Again :  l  Awoke 
early,  and  lay  in  bed  till  gunfire.  I  had  not  communion  ; 
my  mind  seemed  to  rove  among  earthly  objects.'  .  .  . 
Again:  '  Refreshed,  peaceful,  hopeful;  yet  this  joyful  hope 
can  only  be  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  enabling  me 
to  receive  and  live  upon  the  promises,  so  that  there  may 


2o8  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

be  a  constant  upspringing  of  peace  and  joy  in  believing.' 
.  .  .  Again  :  c  Tired  at  night,  yet  comforted  and  kept.  I 
feel  that  my  Lord  is  increasing  my  faith,  and  enabling  me 
more  simply  to  rest  on  Him.'  .  .  .  Again  :  '  Let  me  feel 
that  I  am  in  my  place,  and  let  me  not  be  mindful  of  the 
things  behind.'  .  .  .  Again :  '  Much  occupied  reading 
letters  from  home.  But  Thou  wilt  restore  my  soul.  Bless 
my  dear  friends  at  home,  and  let  not  any  change  in  my 
condition  abate  their  love.  .  .  .  Felt  the  effect  of  not 
having  my  reading  before  looking  at  my  letters.  But  I 
think  the  Lord  helped  me  and  upheld  me.  Grant  me 
grace  in  my  intercourse  with  missionaries  and  ministers, 
and  suffer  me  not  to  settle  dow?i  in  this  dark  land ;  but 
may  I  growingly  learn,  through  the  mighty  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Deliver  me  from  all  the  excuses  and  plausi- 
bilities which  sloth  is  wont  to  produce,  and  help  me  to  be 
stedfast  and  pressing  forward.'  Again :  '  Be  with  me  in 
meeting  the  brethren  this  morning ;  give  me  the  spirit  of 
prayer  and  real  joy,  and  spiritual  benefit  in  approaching 
Thee.  .  .  .  Evening. — A  peaceful  day.  I  found  the  mis- 
sionary conference  useful  and  profitable.' 

The  following  entry,  of  date  October  5th,  will  give  some 
idea  of  his  work  : — 

'  Have  been  at  the  hospital,  and  am  a  little  fatigued.  Looked 
in  at  morning  prayers  in  the  cathedral ;  I  fear  I  should  soon 
feel  such  duty  a  bondage.  But  how  easy  and  pleasant  would 
all  be,  blessed  Lord,  if  we  did  all  from  love  to  Thee  !  Show 
me  how  worthless  all  those  acts  are  which  proceed  not  from 
love.  Strengthen  me  to  look  this  fairly  in  the  face,  even 
though  I  should  be  constrained  to  acknowledge  that  I  have 
been  walking  in  vanity,  and  am  an  empty  voice.      Let  me 


INTERCESSIONS  FOR  OTHERS.  209 

think  of  the  glory  of  Thy  kingdom,  and  speak  of  Thy  power. 
Let  me  make  a  good  confession  in  the  face  of  this  vain,  proud, 
despising  world.  Thou  art  my  King  ;  Thou  shalt  reign,  and 
unto  Thee  every  knee  shall  bow.  Lord,  guide  and  bless  me 
this  day.  Beginning  in  weakness,  may  I  end  in  peace  and 
strength.     Evening. — The  day  did  end  in  peace  and  strength. 

'  Oct.  6. — Thursday  morning. — Too  late  in  going  to  bed  last 
night.  Tried  a  little  during  the  night,  and  without  the  softness 
I  had  last  evening.  O  Lord,  Thou  seest  how  unwilling  Satan  is 
that  I  should  make  progress.  Incline  and  help  me  to  "  pray 
with  all  prayer."  This  is  the  chief  thing,  in  putting  on  the 
armour,  for  night  or  for  day.  The  Lord  is  our  armour,  our 
shield,  our  helmet,  our  sandals,  our  girdle.  Help  me  to  live  • 
in  the  spirit  of  prayer.  Give  me  to  mingle  in  spirit  with  those 
above,  and  to  see  and  feel  as  they  do.  It  is  the  Lord.  Grant 
that  all  difficulties  may  fly  at  the  sight  of  Thy  glory.  Bless 
my  flock  ;  feed  and  advance  them.  Bless  my  distant  friends. 
Guide  me  wisely  in  a  perfect  way. 

'  Oct.  7. — Friday  morning. — Peaceful.  Whom  have  I  but 
Thee  ?  May  I  be  prepared  for  Sabbath.  I  had  opportunity  of 
seeing  yesterday  how  much  the  world  is  in  the  heart  of  those 
with  whom  I  have  to  do.  Grant  that  it  may  not  be  in  mine  ; 
and  let  men  see  and  acknowledge  that  it  is  not.  I  desire  grace 
to  persevere,  and  then  my  little  meetings  will  gradually  tell. 
I  am  thankful,  Lord,  for  being  able  to  remain  quite  cool  and 
collected  in  dealing  with  gainsayers,  and  I  see  the  advantage 
this  gives.  Make  me  wise,  yet  humble,  and  may  I  win  souls. 
O  my  God,  stir  me  up  and  quicken  me,  and  fit  me  to  plead 
Thy  cause.  It  strikes  me  that  our  missionary  friends  act  too 
little  on  the  aggressive  ;  but  I  am  also  becoming  more  alive  to 
the  difficulties  they  have  to  contend  with.' 

In  the  evening  of  Friday,  October  10th,  Mr.  Milne  was 
married  to  Barbara,  only  daughter  of  Simon  Nicolson, 
Esq.,  of  the  Bengal  Medical  Service.  Very  frequently  in 
his  journal  does  he  refer  to  this  union  as  the  source  of  joy, 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


and  strength,  and  blessing.  The  simplicity  and  tender- 
ness of  these  allusions  are  very  characteristic,  very  illus- 
trative of  the  man ;  but  they  are  not  for  the  public  eye. 

After  this  we  have  such  entries  as  the  following  : — 
'  Thou  hast  graciously  repaired  Thy  servant's  breach,  and 
healed  his  wound.'  .  .  .  '  I  am  far  from  the  cares  of  a 
distant  land.  I  have  few  [cares]  here,  except  to  care  for  Thy 
work  and  glory.  O  my  Lord,  I  desire  to  be  holiness  to 
Thee  !'....  'A  peaceful,  happy  day,  as  free  from  care 
and  full  of  good  as  I  ever  could  well  look  for  here,  unless, 
Lord,  there  were  again  the  raining  down  of  life  and  right- 
eousness from  the  opened  windows  of  heaven.'  .... 
Again :  '  Resting,  peaceful,  happy,  and,  I  trust,  preparing 
for  coming  action  and  usefulness.'  .  .  .  Again  :  '  Feel 
refreshed  and  solemnized.  Take  and  keep  Thy  place,  O 
Lord,  in  our  house  and  heart ! ' 

He  mourns  the  little  amount  of  work  he  is  able  to  do. 
He  desires  greater  aggressiveness  in  missionary  operations. 
He  longs  for  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  fulness  and 
power.  He  asks  if  we  could  not  deal  more  directly  with 
prevailing  superstition.  He  is  cheered  by  the  visit  of  two 
young  natives,  seeking  their  way  to  the  cross.  '  This,'  he 
adds,  '  and  some  other  things  to-day,  encourage  me  to 
hope  that  a  holy,  earnest,  kindly  aggressiveness,  tempered 
by  prudence,  will  be  accepted  and  blessed  of  the  Lord.' 
He  visits  '  the  Institution,'  and  rejoices  to  take  part  in  its 
work.  Again,  he  is  '  pleasantly  occupied  with  tidings  from 
home.'  Again,  he  rises  early,  a  little  before  four,  and 
walks  on  the  roof,  thinking  of  Him  who  rose  a  great  while 
before  day.     He  is  struck  with  the  longing  which  these 


DIFFICULTIES  WITHIN  AND  WITHOUT.         211 

two  youths  who  visit  him  have  for  knowledge,  as  that 
which  would  lift  their  .country  from  degradation.  He 
feels  the  responsibility  which  this  brings  upon  our  nation 
and  our  Church.  Another  native  comes  to  him,  and  he 
is  cheered  again,  though  it  breaks  up  his  plans  ;  yet  he 
comforts  himself  by  remembering  how  his  Lord,  even  when 
He  had  gone  aside  for  rest,  came  forth  to  the  multitudes. 
'  My  heart,'  he  says,  '  is  open  to  Thee,  O  Lord  !  I  have 
been  thinking  that  I  should  like  to  live  a  heavenly  life  on 
earth.  O  my  God,  help  me  !  The  element  in  which  my 
soul  thrives  is  faith  and  love.  Unbelief,  cares,  frettings, 
are  death.  Teach  me  to  hope,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Lord,  draw  me  to  Thy  seat !  Let  me  not  rest  in 
saying  that  all  will  be  barren  till  the  rain  comes ;  but  may 
I  more  become  as  in  an  agony  until  the  shower  begins 
to  fall.'  He  is  troubled  because  of  the  little  access  he 
has  to  his  fellow-men,  in  comparison  with  what  he  had  at 
home.  He  finds  few  godly  ones ;  such  '  distance,  coldness, 
and  isolation.'  '  Puseyism,  evangelized  moderatism,  and 
the  strong  tide  of  worldliness '  shut  him  in  on  every  side. 

The  following  more  lengthened  extract  gives  us  an  in- 
sight into  the  workings  of  his  spirit,  and  shows  how  he 
realized  in  Christ  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  in  His  gospel 
the  good  news  of  a  work  done  once  and  for  ever.  It  re- 
minds us  of  Luther's  words  :  '  Christ  is  no  exactor,  but  the 
Propitiator  of  sin.  Hold  this  tenaciously  (hoc  mordicus 
te?ie,  with  "  tooth  and  nail  "),  nor  suffer  thyself  to  be 
plucked  away  from  this  most  sweet  definition  of  Christ, 
which  gladdens  even  the  angels  in  heaven, — that  Christ 
is  no  Moses,  no  exactor,  no  executioner,  but  a  Propi- 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


tiator  of  sin,  a  bestower  of  g."ace,  of  righteousness,  and  of 
life ;  who  gave  Himself,  not  for  our  merits,  or  holiness,  or 
righteousness,  or  our  holy  life,  but  for  our  sins '  (On 
Gal.  i.  4). 

'  Oct.  2'^th. — I  have  found  repeatedly  how  little  the  gospel  is 
known,  and  how  little,  Lord  Jesus,  Thou  art  understood.  Men 
walk  with  Thee  as  if  Thou  wert  a  Lawgiver  from  Sinai,  and  not 
a  Saviour  from  Zion  ;  as  if  they  must  follow  Thee  and  serve 
Thee  wholly  at  their  own  charges.  O  my  Only  Wisdom,  my 
only  Ability,  help  me  to  preach,  and  teach,  and  live  down  this 
error  !  May  I  see  springing  up  a  number  of  humble,  believing 
souls,  that  feel  their  poverty  and  wretchedness,  and  yet  rejoice 
and  glory  in  Thee  as  their  righteousness  and  strength !  Fit  me 
for  my  work  here ;  save  me  from  all  earthly  selfish  motives 
and  impulses ;  baptize  me  with  power ;  and  so  may  I  break  in 
upon  the  preserves  of  the  god  of  this  world,  and  break  through 
all  the  cordons  of  worldly  etiquette  and  carnal  ecclesiasticism. 
Oh  that  some  of  my  thoughts  long  ago  might  now  be  realized ! 

'  Oct.  26th. —  Wednesday  morning. — Refreshed  and  thankful. 
Comforted  in  reading.  Let  the  91st  Psalm  dwell  with  me  to- 
day. Thou  knowest  it  is  not  corn  and  wine,  nor  gold  and 
silver  that  I  seek,  but  showers  of  grace  and  harvests  of  con- 
version. .  .  .  Guide  me  in  writing  to  my  people  at  home. 
I  pray  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  write  what  will  illustrate  and 
endear  Thy  word,  and  also  what  will  give  an  increased  in- 
terest in  this  land. 

'  Oct.  2gtk. — Saturday  morning. — Have  been  at  the  hospital, 
and  begun  what  may  prove  a  pleasant  acquaintance.  Lord, 
guide  in  regard  to  ministering  to  the  soldiers  to-morrow ;  also 
in  getting  Bibles  for  them ;  also  in  teaching  them  to  learn  to 
read.  Save  me  from  thoughts  of  self  in  these  things ;  guide 
me  till  I  may  carry  them  through.  Make  me  holy,  and  then 
use  me  for  Thy  purposes.  ...  Oh  that  I  had  perpetual 
sunshine  in  my  soul,  as  we  have  it  in  our  skies  ! 

'  Oct.  list. — Occupied  with  the  Hindoo  youths,  and  have  got 


PEACEFUL,  HAPPY  DAYS. 


a  lesson  in  duty  with  them.  I  desire  to  pity  them,  and  to  won- 
der at  distinguishing  mercy.  I  would  delight  myself  more  in 
my  God,  run  to  Thee,  and  rejoice  in  Thee,  and  admire  Thee 
greatly.  There  is  none  like  unto  Thee,  and  no  works  like  Thy 
works.  Draw  me  this  day,  for  I  am  feeble.  Went  down  the 
river  with  Mr.  Smith  and  Behari.  Enjoyed  much  the  sail  up 
and  down,  though  the  tide  was  against.  Was  interested  by 
what  I  saw  of  Indian  village  life.  The  people  are  more  com- 
fortable and  more  accessible  than  I  thought.  May  this  be  but 
a  beginning  of  work  of  this  kind  ! 

'  Nov.  2. — At  the  hospital,  and  a  good  deal  worn  out.  Also 
have  not  had  my  usual  reading.  My  peace  and  strength  de- 
pend on  getting  hold  of  the  Lord  and  His  word  before  I  go 
among  my  fellows  or  engage  in  other  matters.  .  .  .  Have 
found  this  day  the  evil  of  having  mind  and  heart  unfurnished 
before  going  out.  .  .  .  Vexed  at  the  apathy  of  the  native 
converts,  and  their  want  of  interest  in  the  salvation  of  their 
countrymen.' 

Often  does  this  entry  recur :  '  A  peaceful,  happy  day ;' 
and  in  one  place  this  is  added,  '  I  have  been  thinking  how 
good  it  would  be  if  I  were  wholly  off  my  feet,  and  carried 
in  the  everlasting  arms ;'  and  again,  '  O  my  Lord,  let  me 
live  habitually  with  Thee  !  Was  not  Jesus  ever  with 
Thee  ?  Let  me  now,  in  Him,  be  with  Thee.  Was  I  not,  in 
Christ,  with  Thee  before  ?  Am  I  not  ever  there  ?  Let  me 
realize  this  from  hour  to  hour.  .  .  .  Help  me  to  have  no 
desire  but  for  Thy  joy  and  glory,  and  then  nothing  can 
offend  me.'  These  Hindoo  youths  sometimes  cheer  and 
sometimes  trouble  him ;  he  feels  as  if  they  were  coming  to 
him  as  the  multitudes  did  to  Jesus, — for  the  loaves ;  yet 
he  resolves  to  set  before  them  the  bread  of  life ;  he  prays 
that  they  may  be  stirred  up  to  think  of  their  countrymen  ; 
and  adds,  '  Bless  this  small  beginning,  which  seems  so  un- 


214  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

promising;  but  of  it  Thou  couldst  make  a  native  home- 
mission  to  spring.  Must  not  India,  after  all,  evan- 
gelize India?'  The  following  overflow  of  feeling  with 
regard  to  himself  is  striking ;  and  the  picture  drawn  is  not 
wholly  unlike : — 

'  Fit  me  for  this  place.  I  feel  that  I  am  rash,  impulsive,  in- 
cautious, inconsiderate  of  the  feelings,  views,  prejudices,  and 
habits  of  men ;  and,  moreover,  too  often  forgetful  of  difficul- 
ties that  are  in  the  way.  Incline  and  help  me  to  watch  and 
pray.  Give  me  quiet  influence.  Look  upon  Thy  work  in  this 
place.  It  does  not  prosper  as  it  ought.  Draw  me  to  Thy 
seat,  for  the  spirit  of  power,  and  of  a  sound  mind.  Give  this 
grace  also  to  many  here.  Use  them,  and  let  me  follow  and 
sit  at  their  feet.  But  save  from  contentment  in  a  low  unpro- 
fitable state  of  things.  I  do  earnestly  pray  for  a  living,  -vigor- 
ous, evangelistic  native  church.  ...  I  should  like  to  see  a 
time  of  revival,  a  stirring  up  of  the  hearts  of  the  converts  to 
love  the  souls  of  their  countrymen,  and  labour  for  their  salva- 
tion ;  a  great  ingathering  of  souls  ;  and  a  new  unity  among 
the  various  religious  denominations.  I  should  like  also  to  see 
my  countrymen  beginning  to  care  for  the  good  of  this  great 
land,  and  temporal  and  spiritual  prosperity  advancing  and 
keeping  pace.  Yet  let  nothing,  not  even  this,  turn  away  my 
heart  from  Christ,  or  take,  or  keep  His  place.  ...  May  I  not 
give  unnecessary  offence,  and  yet  not  fear  to  offend,  if  Thy 
work  requires  it.  Be  pleased  to  use  us  both  and  prepare  us 
for  the  coming  of  Thy  dear  Son.  Have  visited  a  good  deal, 
and  like  to  move  about  among  my  fellow-creatures.  Trials 
also  of  various  kinds.  Yet  they  are  good,  for  they  show  both 
corruption  and  grace  ;  it  is  safe  to  see  the  first,  and  it  is  com- 
forting to  see  the  second.  May  I  hate  this  evil  and  abomin- 
able thing.  May  I  rejoice  more  and  more  that  there  is  a  laver 
that  washes  it  away,  and  a  cross  that  kills  it.  Nothing  can 
thrive  into  which  sin  enters.  It  is  a  worm  at  the  root ;  it  is 
rottenness  in  the  foundations.     It  will  blast  and  wither  all.' 


THOUGHTS  ABOUT  HIS  WORK.  215 

Then  follow  many  similar  entries:  his  own  peacefulness ; 
the  benefit  of  trial ;  pleasant  intercourse  with  the  young 
Hindoos ;  his  visit  to  a  native  house ;  his  quiet  breathing 
time  of  domestic  joy  and  sunshine ;  clouds  '  gathering 
and  closing;'  his  determination  more  and  more  to  search 
for  truth ;  his  wish  in  company  to  lead  the  conversation  to 
holy  things.  Then  he  asks,  '  Am  I  ready  for  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  ?  Is  there  anything  in  the  world  that  I  should 
like  to  keep  as  it  is  ?  Would  it  be  painful  to  have  the 
Master  come  and  supersede  my  work  by  His  own  mighty 
power?  Could  I  rise  up  joyfully  and  welcome  Him?  I 
have  not  come  to  teach  mere  literature,  but  to  teach  sin- 
ners the  way  of  life.'  The  following  sentence  is  worth 
setting  by  itself: — 

1 1  have  desires  in  my  heart  which  perhaps  God  will  grant  me 
to  see  fulfilled  before  I  die.  (1)  A  true  revival  here.  (2)  A 
holy,  active,  numerous  church.  (3)  The  native  Christians  fully 
awakened,  stirred  up,  and  made  successful  in  seeking  the  con- 
version of  their  countrymen.  (4)  The  East  Indians  raised  from 
their  present  degradation  and  put  in  their  proper  position.' 

And  not  less  the  following  : — 

'  I  am  quite  sure  that  the  word  of  truth  alone  will  be  owned 
by  Thee  for  the  conversion  and  salvation  of  men.  Help  me 
quietly  to  go  on  studying  and  preaching  it.' 

1  December  ijth. — Saturday  morning. — I  am  very  wearied ; 
rather  cast  down ;  but  some  peace  in  Psalm  cxxii.,  and  looking 
forward  to  the  heavenly  city.  Why  am  I  careful  about  things 
on  the  passage  ?  My  citizenship  is  there.  My  Elder  Brother 
and  friends  are  there.  Let  my  affections  and  interests  be  all 
there.  Let  me  walk  as  they  walked.  The  traveller  does  not 
stop  because  the  day  looks  cloudy  or  threatening,  but  presses 
on.    The  workman  goes  to  his  labour  in  sunshine  and  shower; 


216  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

his  work  must  be  done.  So,  Lord,  let  me  go  on.  Daily  trials 
there  must  be  ;  daily  causes  of  care  and  casting  down  ;  but  let 
me  still  trust  in  Thee,  and  do  good.' 

'  A  quiet  day,  without  much  trial.  .  .  .  Lord,  I  am  Thine. 
Thy  will  be  done.  Keep  my  heart  and  life,  and  all  the  out- 
goings of  my  soul.  Let  me  forget  myself,  thinking  of  Thee, 
and  seeking  Thee.  .  .  .  Fightings  and  fears,  I  can  scarcely 
say  deliverance.  How  weak  my  faith  is  ;  how  small  my  sub- 
mission to  Thy  holy  will !  Let  me  begin  more  truly  to  take 
up  my  cross  .  .  .  Going  to  Chinsurah.  Lord  keep  me  in  all 
company  and  engagements  ;  let  me  not  grieve  nor  dishonour 
Thee.  Be  my  gracious  Monitor  and  Preserver.  Let  me  praise 
Thee  at  my  return.  .  .  .  Disappointed  in  my  plan  of  journey- 
ing at  the  last  moment,  and  so  have  hurried  back,  not  doubting 
but  that  it  is  for  good.  Quiet  rest  during  the  afternoon,  and 
so  refreshed  and  strengthened.  .  .  .  Peaceful,  yet  need  to 
watch.  The  flesh  waits  its  opportunity.  How  great  is  Thy 
faithfulness,  O  Lord !  What  care  Thou  takest !  What 
patience  Thou  exercisest !  Yet  let  me  not  provoke  Thee,  nor 
tempt.  Quiet  day,  but  not  much  done.  .  .  .  Make  my  Wed- 
nesday meetings  times  of  great  sensible  enjoyment  (and  may 
the  flock  thus  be  built  up  in  the  Lord) ; — make  them  also  times 
of  enlarged,  hopeful  prayer  for  all  people.   .  .  .  Interested  by 

meeting  with  Mr. 's  family  from  the  Moffussil.     People 

say  it  is  impossible  to  walk  with  God  and  be  an  indigo 
planter ;  but  this  seems  to  be  a  humble  Christian.  Abraham 
loved  and  feared  the  Lord  in  Canaan.' 

'  December  24th. — I  know  not  what  may  be  doing  at  Perth. 
This  was  the  season  when  we  used  to  look  specially  for  mercy. 
Yet,  Lord,  Thou  canst  bless  me,  and  make  me  a  blessing  herr 
...  I  see  more  and  more  that  my  life  here  is  to  be  quite  dif- 
ferent from  what  it  was  at  home.  But  it  is  well  to  pass 
through  changes,  and  I  shall  have  larger  sympathy  and  fellow- 
feeling  with  those  who  through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the 
promises.  ...  A  busy  yet  very  happy  day  ;  refreshed  at  night 
by  F 's  prayer.' 


HIS  BIRTH- DA  Y. 


*  December  29th. — I  beseech  my  Lord  to  put  an  edge  upon 
my  spirit.  I  think  Thou  art  dealing  with  me  for  good.  Be 
pleased  to  put  a  new  edge  upon  my  spirit.  Let  me  feel  as  one 
standing  between  the  living  and  the  dead ;  let  my  spirit  be 
up  to  the  measure  of  my  position.  I  will  wait  on  Thee  for 
Sabbath. 

'  December  3 1st. — Friday. — What  a  life  mine  has  been !  I  can 
look  back  on  nothing  with  satisfaction.  I  have  been  covered 
with  sin,  and  have  no  righteousness.  But  Thou  castest  out  none. 
I  have  latterly  become  more  sensible  of  sins  of  omission — the 
want  of  zeal,  life,  love ;  falling  into  a  sluggish,  forgetful,  cold 
state  of  soul.  May  I  be  delivered  from  this  in  the  new  year ! 
Also,  may  I  be  more  drawn  to  prayer,  yea,  may  I  set  myself  to 
pray  much  and  often.  Also,  help  me  to  interest  myself  more 
directly  in  the  state  and  conversion  of  particular  individuals. 
1  desire  also  to  be  enabled  to  walk  more  evenly,  living  a  life  of 
faith,  and  not  looking  so  much  to  the  seen  and  earthly.  My 
eternal  interests  do  not  at  all  depend  upon  my  worldly  stand- 
ing and  prosperity.  On  the  contrary,  when  I  am  poor,  then 
am  I  likeliest  to  be  rich.  Help  me  to  be  more  concerned 
about  men's  feelings  toward  Thee,  and  not  so  much  to  care 
how  they  feel,  or  what  they  think  of  me.  Oh,  how  hard  it  is 
for  my  proud  heart  to  be  overlooked,  lightly  esteemed  !  but  I 
desire  to  have  no  will  but  Thine.     Lord,  undertake  for  me.' 

For  several  months  there  is  no  record ;  and  then  the 
following  entry  stands  alone  : — 

'  April  26th,  1854. — My  birth-day.  I  am  now  far  on  in  life, 
and  have  learned  and  done  little.  I  can  scarcely  hope  to  do 
much  in  what  remains.  Visit  me,  O  Lord,  this  day,  with  Thy 
good  Spirit,  that  I  may  wisely  consider  what  I  am,  where  I  am, 
and  what  I  can  now  do  for  Thee.  .  .  .  Nothing  would  so 
delight  me  as  to  see  times  of  refreshing  and  abounding  spiri- 
tual life.  ...  I  am  afraid  to  think  how  I  should  feel  if  re- 
vival were  to  come  by  means  of  others,  while  I  was  passed  by. 
Yet,  I  think,  I  should  acquiesce,  perhaps  rejoice,  and  join 


218  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

heartily  in  helping  on  the  work.  ...  I  have  left  all  my  dear 
people  and  beloved  friends,  and  am  now  among  strangers 
who  do  not  know  me,  nor  care  for  me.  There  are  here  trials 
unknown  at  home  :  languor  arising  from  the  heat ;  pining  of 
heart  for  wonted  fellowship ;  the  low  state  of  religion  gene- 
rally ;  and  the  apathy  and  unmoveableness  of  the  heathen.  Yet 
Thou  hast  been  kind,  Lord,  in  giving  me  a  loving  wife,  and 
bringing  me  into  a  family,  where  I  am  thoroughly  domesticated. 
Thou  hast  in  earthly  things  compassed  me  with  many  comforts. 
It  is  and  must  be  a  very  monotonous  life.  Lord,  undertake 
for  me.  I  have  no  access  to  the  general  population.  They 
seem  settled  down  in  their  several  encampments,  and  in  deter- 
mined irreligion.  ...  I  have  been  useful,  I  believe,  to  some 
souls.  Though  sometimes  cast  down,  the  Lord  seems  to  lift 
me  up  again.  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  intercourse  with  the 
English-speaking  natives  ;  but  as  yet  none  have  turned  to  the 
Lord,  and  the  door  at  present  is  very  much  closed.  Lord,  fit  me 
for  this  work.  I  pray  for  tenderness  of  heart,  and  a  willingness 
to  wait  much  in  quiet,  and  to  pray.  Give  a  time  of  refreshing. 
This  is  a  kind  of  watchtower,  where  I  might  see  much  of  the 
state  of  the  world,  and  might  be  useful  to  brethren  at  home,  in 
informing  and  stirring  them  up.  Lord,  help  me  to  see  what  I 
might  do,  and  enable  me,  and  fit  me  for  it.' 

A  month  elapses,  and  there  is  another  entry  to  the  fol- 
lowing effect : — 

' May  "$\st,  1854. — I  have  now  been  a  whole  year  in  this 
place,  and  can  form  some  correct  idea  of  the  nature  of  my 
position.  I  see  that  I  am  compassed  with  difficulties.  But  I 
will  not  look  at  them.  Give  me  the  heritage  of  those  who 
fear  Thy  name.  Give  me  fitness  and  heartiness  in  my  work. 
I  look  to  Thee,  O  Lord  ;  give  me  utterance  and  entrance,  and 
zeal  and  help.' 

Such  is  the  substance  of  the  volume  in  which  he  records 
his  first  year's  experiences  in  India.     On  a  blank  leaf  at 


SUBJECTS  FOR  PRAYER.  219 


the  close  of  it,  there  is  written  the  following  arrangement 
of  subjects  for  daily  prayer  throughout  each  week  :] — 

Sabbath. — Ministers ;  work  of  God  ;  refreshing. 

Monday.  — World . 

Tuesday. — Church. 

Wednesday. — India  and  Calcutta. 

Thursday.  —  Congregation ;  office-bearers ;  Sabbath- 
school  classes. 

Triday. — Family  and  friends. 

Saturday. — Free  Church ;  missions. 

The  following  sketch  or  narrative  from  Mr.  M'Leod 
Wylie,  regarding  Mr.  Milne,  will  be  more  effective  than  any 
statement  that  could  be  given  by  one  not  on  the  spot : — 

'  Before  Mr.  Milne's  arrival  in  1853,  some  of  us,  who  were 
deeply  interested  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people,  met 
weekly,  to  pray  that  the  Lord  would  send  us  a  man  after  His 
own  heart ;  and  when  we  heard  some  preliminary  accounts  of 
our  coming  minister — that  he  had  been  a  friend  of  M'Cheyne's, 
and  that  he  was  (as  one  letter  said)  "one  of  the  best  of  the 
revival  preachers," — our  hearts  were  gladdened  by  the  hope 

1 1  have  beside  me  Mr.  M'Cheyne's  jottings  of  a  similar  kind.  They 
will  interest  some,  though  fragmentary.  They  are  divided  into — 
(1)  confession;  (2)  prayer. 

Confession. — Sins  of  natural  life.  Sins  of  ministry.  Sins  under 
affliction.     Sins  against  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit. 

Prayer. — Pray  for  my  health.  Pray  for  my  soul ;  especially  sub- 
mission,— deliverance  from  envy,  love  of  praise.  For  thankfulness, 
humility,  brokenness  of  heart.  For  my  family  and  friends.  For 
Burns,  and  other  fellow-labourers.  For  the  whole  of  my  people ; 
awakened,  believing,  backsliding,  unconverted.  For  direction  to 
the  prayer-meetings,  etc.  For  preparation  for  the  communion  to 
them  and  me.  For  help  and  success  on  Sabbath.  For  the  Carse. 
For  the  Jews.     For  the  Church  in  this  dark  time. 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


that  we  should  see  days  of  blessing.  I  well  remember  his 
arrival.  It  was  the  Lord's  day,  and  I  was  detained  at  home 
by  illness  ;  but  I  heard  the  steamer's  guns  ;  and  soon  after  the 
service  was  finished  he  came  over  to  see  me,  and  then  I  found 
that  he  had,  immediately  on  landing,  hurried  to  the  church, 
and  had  reached  it  in  time  to  see  the  assembled  people,  and 
that  he  was  ready  to  begin  his  work  by  preaching  in  the 
evening.  He  was  the  guest  of  good  old  Dr.  Nicolson ;  and 
that  family  and  mine,  I  can  truly  say,  rejoiced  together  in  the 
grace  we  saw  in  him.  Everything  seemed  to  encourage  our 
expectation  that  we  should  ourselves  be  animated  to  fresh 
devotedness,  and  that  we  should  see  a  revival  around  us.  But 
while  others,  I  know,  were  greatly  blessed  through  the  ministry 
of  that  humble  man  of  God  from  the  first,  I  soon  found  Satan 
very  busy ;  and  as  the  case  may  not  be  unprofitably  con- 
sidered by  other  believers,  I  will  mention  the  circumstances. 
The  Christian  people  in  Calcutta  had  gone  on  for  many  years 
in  an  easy,  contented  way,  with  a  name  to  live,  showing  a 
measure  of  zeal  and  liberality  in  mission  work,  and  in  many 
benevolent  undertakings  ;  but  there  was  little  deep  knowledge 
of  the  word,  and  little  decisive  testimony  for  the  Lord.  It  was 
an  unusual  thing  to  speak  plainly  in  private  to  worldly  friends 
and  associates,  or  to  have  much  spiritual  communion  one  with 
another.  Meetings  for  reading  the  Scriptures  were  very  little 
known.  There  had  been  a  meeting,  some  years  before,  at  Mr. 
Hawkins'  house,  at  which  good  Mr.  M'Donald,  the  Scotch 
missionary,  expounded  ;  and  at  Mr.  M'Donald's  house,  for  a 
time,  a  few  friends  met  on  Saturday  evenings  for  reading  the 
word ;  but,  on  looking  back,  I  can  scarcely  remember  to  have 
learned  any  truth  from  others.  Mr.  M'Donald  used  himself 
much  to  dwell  on  the  Puritan  divines,  and  much  recommended 
them ;  and  for  some  years  I  was  a  diligent  student  of  them. 
But  I  am  sure  that  it  was  a  rare  thing  among  the  believers  in 
Calcutta  to  help  and  edify  one  another  with  fresh  views  of 
truth  gained  by  personal  study  of  the  word ;  and  the  general 
state  of  things  was  formal  and  cold.     It  was  the  Lord's  purpose 


MR.  M'LEOD  WYLIE'S  SKETCH. 


to  send  His  messenger  and  His  message,  and  then  (as  always 
has  been  the  case  when  the  Lord  has  drawn  near)  the  thoughts 
of  many  hearts  were  revealed.  While  many,  who  had  pre- 
viously made  no  profession  of  religion,  heard  from  Mr.  Milne 
new,  stirring,  and  affecting  appeals,  which  touched  their  hearts 
and  roused  their  consciences,  there  were  others  (and  I  was 
one)  who  felt  that  this  kind  of  religion  went  beyond  their  ex- 
perience, and  in  effect  tested  and  exposed  them.  At  times 
the  power  of  his  preaching  was  irresistible.  Such,  I  remember, 
was  a  sermon  on  the  Saviour  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper, 
— detecting  the  true  communicant,  not  in  the  rich  professor,  but 
in  the  poor  abashed  suppliant  at  His  feet ;  and  I  remember, 
too,  one  occasion  when  Mr  Granger  (one  of  the  Baptist  mis- 
sionary deputation  from  the  United  States)  described  to  me 
his  experience  while  listening  to  another  sermon  before  the 
communion.  He  said  that  he  sat  there  overwhelmed,  and 
could  only  feel  the  force  of  such  words  as  "  I  am  a  worm  and 
no  man."  There  were  many  who  affected  to  think  lightly  of 
Mr.  Milne's  preaching.  It  was  not  "  prepared,"  it  was  not 
learned,  and  so  on  ;  but  this  was  all  misconception.  The 
preparation  was,  in  fact,  of  the  best  kind.  He  preached 
weekly  out  of  a  full  and  exercised  soul,  which  was  constantly 
occupied  in  applying  the  word  to  the  hearts  of  inquirers  or 
mourners  ;  and  he  gave  forth  out  of  the  good  treasure,  which 
his  own  study  of  the  word  was  gaining  day  by  day,  things 
new  and  old.  And  though  there  was  no  show  of  learning,  yet 
there  was  learning,  and  far  more,  I  believe,  than  would  have 
been  displayed  by  retailing  the  comments  of  critical  authors. 
The  result  was,  that  he  often  conveyed  vivid  impressions  of 
the  true,  free,  and  full  meaning  of  many  passages  of  Scripture  ; 
so  that  his  hearers  often  associated  for  ever  afterwards  par- 
ticular portions  with  recollections  of  his  unfolding  of  them.  I 
can  say  this,  for  instance,  of  the  last  chapter  of  Micah,  and  of 
passages  in  Hosea  xiv.  and  John  iv.  But  there  certainly  was 
something  unusual  in  his  way  of  acting  and  speaking.  He 
had  little  concern  for  the  outward  business  of  the  house  of 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


God,  though,  I  must  say,  I  never  saw  any  sickly  and  unmanly 
indifference  to  really  necessary  work ;  and  he  was  anxious  to 
show  his  interest  in  all  such  meetings  as  those  of  the  Bible 
Society's  Committee  and  the  Missionary  Conference.  But 
then  he  put  spiritual  and  personal  work  first,  in  a  very  decided 
manner.  He  paid  visits  which  were  solely  visits  of  a  pastor 
or  a  brother  in  the  gospel,  and  he  came  therefore  only  to  speak 
of  spiritual  things  and  to  pray.  He  was  "  instant  in  season 
and  out  of  season."  He  spoke  with  much  directness — with- 
out ambiguity,  and  in  a  searching  way, — that  often  startled 
and  displeased.  This  often  led  to  rebuffs.  But  how  many 
can  testify,  as  I  can,  that  they  never  saw  him  angry  or  dis- 
pleased ;  never  manifesting  the  pride  of  ruffled  spirit ;  never 
treasuring  the  memory  of  unkind  or  harsh  treatment  !  He 
had,  I  think,  more  of  the  mind  of  Christ  in  this  respect  than 
any  man  I  ever  saw.  He  was  content  to  be  abased  if  others 
were  exalted ;  to  be  accepted  "  only  in  part ;"  to  be  treated 
as  an  inferior — inferior  in  judgment  and  knowledge ;  and  I 
think,  too,  I  may  say  that  I  never  saw  i  Cor.  xiii.  so  exem- 
plified as  it  was  in  him.  How  he  could  suffer  long  and  be 
kind  ;  how  he  lived  and  acted  as  judging  none,  and  thinking 
no  evil !  Of  our  blessed  Lord  it  is  spoken  that  He  was  deaf 
and  dumb,  and  that  He  suffered  not  His  voice  to  be  heard  : 
He  was  dumb,  He  bore  the  contradiction  of  sinners ;  and  He 
opened  not  His  mouth  ;  and  how  delightful  it  is  to  see  in  one 
of  His  followers  this  meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ  ! 
There  was  much  of  it  in  Mr.  Milne.  And  then  he  was  entirely 
unworldly.  He  cared  not  for  the  worldly  appearances  and 
human  praise,  but  had  that  faith  which  overcomes  the  world. 

'  His  course  in  India  extended  from  May  1853  to  August  1857 
— more  than  four  years.  Before  he  left,  he  had  settled  down  into 
habits  of  regular  work  among  his  own  growing  congregation, 
and  was  less  engaged  with  others  outside.  But  his  work  was 
extending  in  another  way.  In  Calcutta  itself  it  was  chiefly 
confined  to  his  own  people  ;  but  he  was  sought  out  by  Chris- 
tians who  came  there,  and  he  was  led  into  correspondence 


MR.  M'LEOD  WYLIE'S  SKETCH. 


with  those  who  left  for  other  parts  of  the  country.  I  suppose 
that,  if  he  had  remained,  his  influence  would  have  rapidly  ex- 
tended ;  for  he  was  an  epistle  of  Christ,  known  and  read  of  all 
men.  In  some  cases  his  usefulness  was  very  remarkable.  A 
young  civilian,  for  instance,  a  stranger  to  him,  lived  near  him, 
and  was  suddenly  plunged  into  deep  affliction  by  a  bereave- 
ment. Mr.  Milne  at  once  ventured  in  to  see  him,  with  words 
of  comfort ;  led  him  to  the  Saviour ;  and  afterwards,  when  he 
left  Calcutta  for  the  Upper  Provinces,  was  his  friend  and  coun- 
sellor. And  certainly  he  had  the  gift  of  ministering  to  strangers, 
for  his  perfect  guilelessness  removed  all  annoyance  at  apparent 
intrusions.  It  was  impossible  to  mistake  his  "purpose,"  or 
"his  manner  of  life  or  charity."  He  was  eminently  trans- 
parent, and  evidently  had  but  one  thought  and  one  object ; 
and  thus  very  often  he  overcame  evil  with  good.  Where, 
at  first,  he  was  met  with  impatience,  and  even  contempt,  he 
won  his  way  by  the  meekness  of  wisdom.  And,  indeed,  often 
have  I,  in  reference  to  him,  thought  of  the  words,  "  He  that 
winneth  souls  is  wise."  Much  else  there  is  that  appears  wise, 
and  is  highly  esteemed  among  men  ;  but  there  is  one  work  in 
which  it  is  truly  wise  to  spend  all  our  strength,  and  which  cer- 
tainly will  abide — the  Christ-like  work  of  seeking  out,  to  save, 
the  lost ;  and  to  this  blessed  work  our  dear  friend  devoted  him- 
self. This  one  thing  he  did.  He  gave  himself  wholly  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  and  he  had  special  qualifications  for  the 
work.  He  was  remarkably  self-denying  and  generous,  so  that 
he  spared  no  pains,  and  would  willingly  part  with  everything 
he  had  to  show  his  sympathy.  He  was  quite  free  from  jealousy 
and  envy,  from  secular  pursuits  and  engagements,  and  from 
habics  of  variance  and  contention.  He  was  full  of  tender  com- 
passion, and  could  truly  weep  with  them  that  wept,  and  rejoice 
with  them  that  rejoiced.  His  successor  in  the  ministry  in  Cal- 
cutta, Mr.  Pourie,  told  me  he  had  experienced  quite  a  new 
blessing  to  his  own  soul  in  visiting  among  those  who  had  been 
quickened  under  Mr.  Milne's  ministry. 

'While  in  Calcutta,  our  friend  always  showed  a  real  and 


2-4  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

hearty  interest  in  all  mission  work.  He  took  a  class  in  the 
Free  Church  Institution  every  week  to  expound  the  Pilgrim's 
Progress,  and  I  know  of  other  evidences  of  practical  co-opera- 
tion in  mission  work,  or  at  least  of  lively  affection  to  those 
engaged  in  it.  When  such  choice  missionaries  as  the  late  Mr. 
Ingalls,  of  the  American  Mission  in  Burmah;  and  Mr.  Jaaske, 
of  the  Moravian  Mission  in  Thibet ;  and  the  late  Dr.  Ribben- 
trop  of  Chupra,  were  in  Calcutta,  his  heart  overflowed  with  love 
to  them ;  and  after  he  returned  to  Scotland,  he  and  his  beloved 
wife  ceased  not  to  remit  aid  for  some  of  the  work  in  India. 

'As  might  be  supposed,  a  man  of  this  kind  attracted  much 
(and,  I  may  say,  more  and  more)  love  from  those  who  were 
most  manifestly  on  the  Lord's  side,  and  who  were  able  to 
appreciate  the  depth  and  the  fervour  of  his  spiritual  life.  I 
may  mention  particularly  the  late  Colonel  Wheler,  who  was 
generally  very  reserved  in  his  communications,  even  with  old 
friends.  To  Mr.  Milne  he  opened  his  heart,  and  gave  records 
of  his  work,  much  more  than  to  others — more,  certainly,  than 
he  did  to  me,  who  had  known  him  and  corresponded  with  him 
far  longer.  I  remember  hearing,  through  Mr.  Milne,  a  won- 
derful narrative  I  had  never  heard  from  Colonel  Wheler  him- 
self, of  an  Afghan  convert  of  his  who  went  forth  into  his  own 
dark  country  with  his  life  in  his  hand,  resolved  there  to  speak 
of  Jesus  at  all  hazards, — one  of  whom  the  world  was  not 
worthy,  and  whose  name  will  never  be  known  till  "  that  day," 
when  his  work,  and  perhaps  much  fruit  from  it,  shall  be  de- 
clared openly.1 

1  Mr.  Milne's  departure  from  India  was  rendered  necessary 
by  the  continued  illness  of  his  wife.  They  were  separated  in 
1855  in  the  hope  that  she  might  return  to  India  sufficiently 
strengthened  to  bear  the  climate ;  and  to  one  so  affectionate 
and  so  dependent  as  he  was,  that  separation  was  no  ordinary 
trial.     He  was  liable  to  fits  of  extreme  depression,  and  I  recol- 

1  See  that  most  stirring  and  remarkable  book,  Memoir  of  Colonel 
Wheler.     London  :  1866. 


MR.  M'LEOD  WYLIES  SKETCH.  225 

lect  one  occasion  when  I  went  to  see  him,  at  a  time  when  he 
was  quite  alone,  and  found  him  in  great  darkness  and  distress. 
At  such  times  he  found  no  relief  except  in  spiritual  work  ;  and 
if  there  were  but  some  call  on  him  for  counsel,  or  some  case 
in  which  there  was  hope  of  the  Spirit's  work,  his  thoughts 
seemed  instantly  diverted  from  himself,  a  new  song  was  put 
into  his  mouth,  and  he  went  on  his  way  again  rejoicing. 

'  I  might  say  much  more ;  but  I  cannot  doubt  that  others, 
who  knew  him  longer  and  better,  will  be  able  to  describe  his 
general  course  fully ;  and  as  he  was  the  same  man  in  India 
and  at  home,  so  the  account  of  his  home  life  will  answer  the 
purpose  of  a  more  complete  sketch  of  his  career  abroad.  The 
impression  in  my  own  mind,  from  a  review  of  all  my  acquaint- 
ance and  intercourse  with  him,  has  been  very  deep.  The  sim- 
plicity of  character,  the  long-suffering,  the  willingness  to  be 
counted  even  a  fool  for  Christ's  sake,  made  many  think  of  him 
as  weak  and  powerless;  but  he  was  able  to  glory  in  infirmities, 
that  the  power  of  Christ  might  rest  in  him ;  he  was  strong  in 
His  strength  ;  and  so,  while  some  thought  that  he  was  scarcely 
to  be  accounted  of,  his  influence  was  felt  by  every  man,  and  his 
labours  were  blessed  beyond  almost  all.  I  read  in  his  life  a 
great  lesson, — the  lesson  that  true  strength  and  true  power 
come  only  from  much  living  communion  with  the  Lord ;  that 
He  will  use  and  exalt  those  who  are  willing,  for  His  sake,  to 
be  abased  ;  and  that  the  memory  of  these  is  most  blessed  who 
here  do  most  truly  glorify  Him  by  likeness  to  the  lowliness 
and  service  of  Christ.  We  live  in  days  when  we  hear  much  of 
the  need  of  an  intellectual  ministry,  and  of  preaching  to  meet 
the  wants  of  the  age ;  but  the  career  of  this  dear  servant  of 
Christ  may  serve  to  show  that,  if  we  want  to  win  souls,  we 
must  know  nothing  but  Christ  and  Him  crucified.  While  hun- 
dreds of  elaborate  discourses — the  products  of  research  and 
painful  labour — have  served  no  purpose  whatever  but  the  grati- 
fication of  so  many  of  the  hearers  as  were  able  to  understand 
them,  the  sermons  which  Mr.  Milne  preached,  fresh  from  the 
fulness  of  his  own  experience,  fraught  with  the  spirit  of  the 

P 


226  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


gospel,  directed  only  to  the  consciences  and  hearts  of  the 
people,  are  remembered,  and  have  borne  fruit  to  life  eternal. 
May  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  send  forth  into  His  vine- 
yard hundreds  of  servants  qualified  with  "  like  precious  faith," 
and  sustained  from  first  to  last  with  a  quenchless  desire  to 
make  full  proof  of  their  ministry  to  the  glory  of  His  name 
only,  in  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  the  manifest  example  of 
a  heavenly  mind  ! ' 

Ere  leaving  home  he  had  counted  the  cost,  and  never 
for  one  moment  regretted  the  step  he  took.  Yet  he  felt 
the  difference  between  Calcutta  and  Perth,  though  he  en- 
joyed the  intercourse  of  his  missionary  brethren,  and  speaks 
of  them  with  great  kindness.  '  How  little,'  he  writes,  '  we 
seem  to  know,  in  this  land,  of  the  communion  of  saints ! 
But  the  life  and  sweetness  of  that  is  the  communion  of  the 
Lord;  and  His  fellowship  can  be  enjoyed  in  private  as 
well  as  in  company.  .  .  .  How  I  should  like  to  have 
Andrew  Bonar  here,  and  be  able  to  say  all  I  think  and 
feel,  with  a  sense  of  reciprocation  ! ' 

The  following  hymn,  one  of  many  such  found  in  his 
note-books,  gives  expression  to  his  feelings.  It  is  upon 
Ps.  xxxvii.  i,  and  occurs  after  an  entry  to  this  effect : — 
'  Driven  about  all  day,  and  no  rest.  I  was  away  from 
Thee,  O  Lord,  and  so  I  sank ;  and  then  sin  comes  in  with 
resistless  power.  .  .  .  My  life  is  passing  fast  away,  and 
I  continue  poor  and  helpless.  Undertake  for  me.  .  .  . 
Feel  the  need  of  the  Lord.  Surely  He  is  making  me  feeJ 
my  need  of  Him  ! 

•FRET  NOT. 
'  Lord,  help  me  not  to  fret,  when  troubles  o'er  me  flow ; 
But  still  before  me  set  the  path  of  toil  and  woe. 


JOHN  MA  CD  ONALD.  227 

For  few  Thy  comforts  were  ;  Thou  thoughtest  not  of  ease  ; 
But  soughtest  still  from  Satan's  snare  Thy  brethren  to  release. 

Grant  me  to  follow  Thee,  my  self-forgetting  Lord  ! 
And  when  from  toil  I  flee,  reward  me  of  Thy  word ; 
For  Thou  hast  said  that  they,  who  will  Thy  service  try, 
Must  ever,  day  by  day,  both  self  and  sin  deny. 

The  cross  I  now  uptake ;  the  burden  seek  to  bear  ; 
And  for  Thy  dear  name's  sake,  I  would  Thy  sorrows  share. 
Deign,  Lord,  on  me  to  smile  ;  my  fainting  spirit  raise ; 
And  make  me,  'mid  my  toil,  lift  up  the  song  of  praise.' 

He  delighted  to  speak  of  John  M'Donald,  and  of  what 
he  had  heard  of  the  sayings  and  doings  of  that  noble  mis- 
sionary, who,  in  his  brief  course,  gave  such  a  decided 
testimony  for  Christ  in  Calcutta,  and  shone  there  as  a 
burning  and  shining  light.1  Once  and  again  he  referred  to 
the  deathbed  of  that  man  of  God,  as  it  had  been  described 
to  him  by  those  who  witnessed  it ;  especially  recalling  the 
words  of  Lacroix  (a  well-known  missionary  of  the  London 
Society),  as  he  stood  in  the  death  chamber,  ere  the  spirit 
had  departed, '  There  lies  the  holiest  man  in  India.' 

1 '  What  I  miss  in  some  missionaries  (he  writes),  is  that  glow,  and 
warmth,  and  stirring  of  spirit  which  you  see  in  Paul  to  the  very  end. 
May  I  live  fast  and  get  an  early  grave,  if  one  must,  after  a  time,  cool 
down.' 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
1854-1857. 

IN     INDIA. 

HE  took,  as  we  have  seen,  a  very  warm  interest  in  all 
missionary  work ;  and  associated  himself  lovingly 
with  missionaries  of  different  churches.  To  work  for  God, 
to  gather  in  souls,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the 
world,  was  his  aim.  He  was  'debtor'  to  all;  he  knew  it; 
he  had  gone  to  India  to  pay  that  great  debt ;  and  in  his 
daily  life  there  he  showed  his  sense  of  how  much  he  owed. 
Our  Free  Church  Institution  he  visited  every  Monday, 
often  going  to  it  when  weary  enough  with  his  Sabbath 
work  and  the  Indian  heat.  He  had  a  class  there,  with 
which  he  went  through  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  and 
some  other  parts  of  Scripture.  On  two  occasions  he  wrote 
to  the  then  Governor-General,  Lord  Dalhousie,  and  ob- 
tained handsome  donations  for  the  Institution.  He  wrote 
afterwards  to  Lady  Canning,  who  responded  to  his  appli- 
cation by  sending  one  of  the  Government  secretaries  to 
inspect  Mrs.  Ewart's  school  for  Jewish  and  Armenian  girls, 
then  under  Miss  Johnstone's  care,  and  was  so  pleased  with 
his  report  that  she  sent  a  contribution  from  herself.  In 
his  correspondence  with  friends  up  the  country,  he  often 


WORK  AND  CORRESPONDENCE.  229 

urged,  and  not  in  vain,  the  claims  of  the  Free  Church 
Institution  and  of  the  Orphanage. 

He  had  regular  engagements  for  almost  every  day  of 
the  week.  On  Monday  evenings  he  met  with  some  pious 
soldiers  in  the  fort  for  reading  and  prayer.  On  Wednesday 
evenings  there  was  the  regular  congregational  prayer-meet- 
ing. On  Friday  mornings  he  had  a  Bible  reading  at  his 
own  house ;  and  the  evening  of  that  day  was  devoted  to 
young  men;  on  alternate  weeks  for  natives  and  for  the 
young  men  of  the  congregation.  Frequently,  on  Thursday 
evenings,  he  preached  to  the  sailors.  On  Saturday  morn- 
ings he  had  a  young  ladies'  Bible  class.  All  this  was  in 
addition  to  visiting  his  congregation,  the  jail,  the  hospitals, 
the  ships,  and  every  place  or  person  that  was  accessible ; 
especially  in  cases  of  sickness  and  distress.  He  kept  up 
a  large  correspondence  with  Free  Churchmen  all  over 
India,1  not  only  by  letter,  but  by  the  transmission  of 

1 1  should  add,  not  only  with  Free  Churchmen,  but  with  all  who 
loved  the  Lord  Jesus  of  every  church.  Referring  to  the  Memorials 
of  John  Mackintosh,  and  his  views  as  to  other  churches,  he  says 
in  one  of  his  Indian  journals,  'I  like  his  liberality  and  charity.' 
'  Liberality '  was  not  with  Mr.  Milne  a  word  indicating  facility  in  be- 
lieving anything  or  nothing;  nor  indicating  dislike  of  those  who  believe 
or  disbelieve  very  earnestly,  and  who  attach  great  importance  to  what 
they  believe ;  nor  yet  indicating  sympathy  with  every  form  of  opinion 
or  religion :  it  was  to  him  equivalent  with  love  to  all  who  truly  love 
the  Lord.  His  large-heartedness  did  not  consist  in  assuming  everybody 
to  be  right ;  or  in  thinking  that  believed  truth  and  believed  error  are 
equally  acceptable  to  God ;  or  in  holding  it  to  be  a  hard  thing  that  one 
man  should  be  saved  for  believing  what  is  true,  and  another  lost  for  not 
believing  it.  His  liberality  was  true  and  deep ;  and  yet  it  was  in  thorough 
accord  with  the  mind  of  Him  who  said,  '  Strait  is  the  gate  and  narrow 
is  the  way  that  leadeth  to  life ;  and  FEW  THERE  BE  THAT  FIND  IT.' 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


tracts  and  periodicals  regularly.1  He  used  to  compare  his 
work  in  Calcutta  to  that  of  a  man  standing  in  a  gateway, 
and  speaking  to  all  who  went  in  and  out.  They  and  he 
might  never  meet  again ;  but  the  word  spoken  might  be 
remembered  for  ever.  This  'sowing  beside  all  waters' 
was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  his  Christian 
life.  He  never  seemed  to  be  weary  in  well-doing.  He 
did  not  sow  sparingly,  and  he  did  not  reap  sparingly  (2 
Cor.  ix.  6) ;  nor  is  his  harvest  yet  over. 

In  letters  to  a  friend  in  Perth  about  this  time,  he  speaks 
of  the  hindrances  and  difficulties  which  arose  from  the 
climate,  and  the  native  habits,  and  the  shifting  population. 
And  he  adds :  '  How  desirable  it  is  that  Christians  should 
be  lively,  consistent,  holy,  manifest  fearers  and  honourers 
of  the  Lord !  We  are  surrounded  by  native  servants  night 
and  day,  and  they  mark  closely  all  our  on-goings.  I  am 
learning  many  things  from  observing  these  poor  people, 
and  am  determined,  through  God's  help,  to  do  all  for  them 
I  can.2  Poor  things  !  they  would  do  anything  for  us.'  He 
seems  never  to  have  looked  upon  the  natives,  whether  in- 
doors or  out  of  doors,  without  being  stirred  to  pity.     And 

1  In  September  1855,  he  writes:  'I  have  sent  away  this  week 
between  thirty  and  forty  packets,  besides  various  chits  (notes)  and 
letters  to  many  parts  of  this  Indian  land.'  Again  :  '  October  1855. 
Went  to  the  post-office  with  a  huge  bundle  of  letters  and  papers  I  was 
sending  in  all  directions.' 

2  While  living  in  a  boarding-house  (September  1855)  in  Calcutta, 
one  Sabbath  morning,  some  native  carpenters  began  erecting  a  small 
house  in  the  compound  or  yard.  Mr.  M.  wrote  at  once  to  the  land- 
lady :  '  Don't  you  think  it  wrong  that  the  men  should  work  on  Sab- 
bath ?  But  perhaps  you  have  not  power  to  stop  them,' — enclosing  the 
tract,  '  The  price  of  a  Soul.'     Immediately  the  work  was  stopped. 


WHAT  IS  TO  BE  DONE  FOR  INDIA  ?  231 

he  goes  on  to  say  :  '  I  rather  like  to  see  them  moving  about, 
in  the  spotless  white  dresses;  and  sometimes  wish  they 
were  as  white  within.  If  they  were  as  careful  to  please 
the  Lord  as  they  are  to  serve  and  please  us,  watching  night 
and  day,  and  anticipating  every  wish,  they  would  be  a  noble 
and  happy  people.'  Feeling  the  responsibility  of  his  posi- 
tion, he  asks  for  special  prayer  in  his  behalf.  '  Pray  for  me, 
that  I  may  be  blessed  in  preaching  and  visiting  the  flock  ; 
in  my  classes ;  in  intercourse  with  strangers  passing  up  and 
down;  in  visiting  the  various  institutions;  and  in  inter- 
course with  the  missionaries.  You  see  the  large,  impor- 
tant field  that  is  here ;  and  you  know,  when  your  prayers 
make  me  a  full  vessel,  we  shall,  ere  long,  rejoice  together.' 
In  some  other  letters  he  asks  with  pointed  earnestness, 
'  What  is  to  be  done  for  India  ?  Mediocrity,  dull  routine, 
cold  formality  among  Christians,  and  a  powerless,  apathetic 
native  Christianity  make  me  almost  despair.  Alas  !  our 
young  men  seem  to  be  among  the  best,  and  yet  how  little 
can  we  expect  from  them  in  the  way  of  evangelizing  the 
land  !  Only  faith,  fervour,  burning  love  to  souls,  and  large, 
generous,  self-denying  enterprise  can  do  anything  for  such 
a  land;  and  where  are  they  to  be  found?'  He  then  goes 
on,  in  the  intensity  of  fervent  zeal :  '  My  heart  is  sad,  yet 
not  dismayed;  but  rather  indignant  and  jealous.  Where  is 
the  Esther  who  will  go  in  and  touch  the  golden  sceptre  ?  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that,  if  there  were  one  real  revival,  it 
might  lift  the  standard  up  and  give  a  new  aim  and  impulse. 
Let  us  keep  this  in  view ;  for  unless  the  Lord  plead  His 
own  cause,  I  cannot  see  what  is  to  be  the  end.  Poor 
India !      What  is  to  become  of  it  ?      There  is  no  zeal. 


232  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

no  enterprise;  but  everywhere  death,  lukevvarmness,  and 
worldliness.' 

He  writes,  in  July  1855,  thus  :  '  Sometimes  I  fear  that 
the  curse  of  God  lies  on  this  poor  land.  There  seem  to 
be  so  few  generous,  large-hearted  souls  to  care  for  it.  I 
suppose  the  Lord  is  shutting  us  up  to  Himself.  Reading 
Isaiah  xlv.  at  worship,  I  felt  for  the  moment  how  easily 
He  could  remove  all  difficulties  out  of  the  way.  "  /  will 
work."  I  suppose  I  shall  end  by  looking  for  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  Himself  to  end  the  Church's  long,  selfish 
sleep.' 

A  little  later  he  writes  :  '  How  little  I  habitually  live  as 
one  who  is  redeemed,  accepted,  beloved,  a  citizen  of 
heaven,  a  friend  and  follower  of  Jesus ;  and  how  I  try  to 
get  joy,  and  find  instead  only  care  and  sorrow  from  the 
world  around,  when  I  might  get  every  good  and  perfect 
gift  from  the  world  above  !'  And  again :  '  Why  should  we 
not  feel  so  warm  in  the  love  of  God,  that  we  should  not  be 
sensible  of  the  coldness  and  unkindness  of  men  ?  Why 
should  we  not  be  so  strong  and  confident  in  His  help,  that 
we  should  not  be  much  concerned  though  men  stand 
aloof  or  oppose?  Why  should  we  not  be  so  filled  with 
the  earnests  of  coming  glory,  that  we  should  not  much 
mind  the  crooks  and  holes  in  our  worldly  lot?'1     In  an- 

1  Of  this  date  is  the  following  sentence,  so  expressive  of  the  man, 
reminding  us  of  Paul's  '  This  one  thing  I  do.'  It  is  a  word  for  all, 
especially  for  ministers.  '  Let  us  try  to  say  something  to  every  one  we 
meet.  I  have  been  trying  it  to-day.''  When  in  London,  among  some 
Government  officials,  he  astonished  them  by  speaking  personally  to 
them  about  eternity,  especially  one  venerable  gentleman,  who,  not  at 
all  offended,  simply  made  the  remark,  '  I  was  never  spoken  to  in  that 


TRUE  STATE  OF  THE  WORLD  BEFORE  GOD.    233 

other  letter  he  has  this  most  searching  remark,  fitted  to 
make  us  inquire  into  the  reality  of  these  great  externalisms 
and  organizations  which  look  well,  but  may  perhaps,  after 
all,  be  hollow.  '  I  am  feeling  more  and  more  that  nothing 
in  the  Church  is  of  any  value  save  what  is  really  the  work  of 
God.  He  builds  the  house ;  and  much  that  we  build  is 
only  dehna-ke-waste,1  or,  as  Paul  says,  to  "  make  a  fair  show 
in  the  flesh." ' 

Feeling  deeply  the  evil  of  this  present  evil  world,  and 
knowing  that  outward  improvements,  such  as  those  which 
are  affected  by  civilisation,  or  government,  or  literature,  fall 
short  alike  of  God's  purpose  and  man's  need,  he  thus  re- 
marks :  '  We  are  not  laying  to  heart  enough  the  state  of 
the  world.  God  is  calling  us  to  mourning  and  prayer ; 
and  we  seem  to  go  on  much  as  we  would  if  His  terrible 
judgments  were  not  in  the  earth.  There  seems  to  be  a 
good  deal  of  restlessness  and  uneasiness  in  many  parts  of 
India.  The  native  mind  seems  heaving  up  and  down, 
and  very  likely  we  shall  have  outbreaks  in  other  parts  than 
Rajamahal.'  This  was  written  in  September  1855  ;  and,  at 
the  same  time,  he  remarks  on  passing  events :  '  This  is  the 
Mohurrum,2  and  yesterday  was  the  great  day,  so  that  the 
town  was  full  of  tumult  and  noise.  We  have  conquered 
India  for  Leadenhall  Street,  but  not  for  Christ;  and  these 
outbreaks  seem  as  if  the  devil  paraded  his  votaries,  and 

way  before.'  It  was  most  pleasant,  but  somewhat  perilous,  to  have  a 
walk  with  him.  The  stoppages  were  many ; — words  to  be  dropped ; 
tracts  to  be  given ;  kind  deeds  to  be  done  to  passers-by. 

1  Hindostanee ;  meaning  literally,  '  Appearance  for  looking  j '  fair 
show;  like  the  apostle's  word  thnfovuiriw  (Gal.  vi.  12). 

*  A  great  Mohammedan  festival. 


234  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

vaunted  of  his  power.  What  David  will  come  and  kill  the 
giant  ?  For  all  here  seem  at  rest,  and  take  it  as  a  matter  of 
course?  Yet,  troubled  and  almost  overwhelmed  by  the 
sight  of  these  idolatries,  he  can  say  at  the  same  time  :  '  I 
am  never  allowed  to  think  that  I  did  wrong  in  coming 
here.  I  never  wish  that  I  had  not  come.  I  feel  that  I 
shall  be  to  all  eternity  a  different  man,  in  consequence  of 
my  Indian  experience  and  trials.  There  are  many  to  do 
the  work  at  home ;  there  are  few  here.'  Then  he  turns 
from  the  spectacle  of  a  ruined  world,  and  a  benighted 
India,  to  a  lesson  of  Christian  experience  :  '  I  have  been 
out  on  my  little  terrace,  and  saw  a  native  busy  fanning  his 
little  fire.  I  wonder  if  I  could  teach  him  how  to  "  rest" 
his  fire,  as  they  call  it  in  Scotland,  and  so  have  only  to  stir 
it  up  when  morning  comes,  and  be  saved  this  daily  labori- 
ous process.  But  then,  I  began  to  think,  does  the  fire 
keep  alive  in  our  souls  all  the  night ;  and  has  the  Lord  no 
trouble  in  kindling  it  again  ?  I  wish  we  had  a  continuous- 
ness  of  spirituality.  Watchfulness,  self-denial,  and  separa- 
tion from  the  world  would  help;  but,  better  still,  joy  in 
Christ,  i  Thess.  v.  14-24  shows,  I  think,  how  the  fire 
might  be  kept  always  burning.  Dark,  gloomy,  unthankful 
thoughts  quench  it  very  much,  and  they  make  way  for 
other  evils.' 

His  October  letters  of  that  year  take  the  same  solemn 
tone.  Here  are  some  extracts  : — '  Changes,  changes  ;  but 
I  find  our  hearts  do  not  change  for  the  better,  and  only 
ceaseless,  unwearying,  omnipotent  grace  can  make  us 
better.  We  are  the  clay,  and  He  the  potter ;  and  even 
our  stubbornness  and  unholiness  cannot  baulk  or  hinder 


THE  MASTER  AND  THE  SERVANT.  235 

Him  in  His  work,  when  He  puts  to  His  hand.  ...  If  we 
could  do  all  things  in  the  secret  place,  as  before  the 
throne,  there  would  be  no  languor  nor  want  of  interest 
then,  but  the  constant  pressing  towards  the  mark;  and 
even  the  little  things,  and  the  trying  things,  and  the 
humbling  things  would  be  the  most  interesting,  as  being 
most  fitted  to  prove  our  desire  to  please  the  Lord.  Our 
life  springs  out  of  the  death  of  the  flesh;  our  pleasure 
out  of  the  denial  of  our  own  will ;  our  glory  out  of  a 
counting  ourselves  nothing,  that  the  Lord  may  be  all  in 
all.  We  must  be  cross-bearers.  .  .  .  We  live,  I  fear, 
upon  our  plans  and  labours,  our  success,  and  the  stand- 
ing we  have  among  men.' 
At  another  time  he  writes : — 

'  I  have  just  been  thinking  how  contemptible  such  a  life  as 
Christ's  would  seem  to  the  great  mass  of  the  higher  class  of 
people  here  !  He  went  about  without  any  ecclesiastical  rank, 
any  government  appointment.  His  friends  were  the  poor,  and 
He  ministered  to  the  poor  almost  wholly.  If  He  could  appear 
now  as  then,  I  suppose  He  would  be  esteemed  as  some  fanatic 
preacher.  I  wonder  how  He  bore  up  under  so  many  dis- 
couragements !  But  "  He  trusted  in  God."  I  wonder  also  at 
His  hopefulness  and  thankfulness  at  any  little  appearance  of 
success  !  When  Peter  said,  "  We  know  and  are  sure  that  Thou 
art  the  Christ,"  He  immediately  saw  His  Father's  hand  in  this, 
and  looks  forward  to  a  conquering  Church.  And  yet  how  soon 
these  dawnings  were  overcast  again,  and  the  truth  made  mani- 
fest, that  it  will  be  the  interchange  of  light  and  darkness,  grace 
and  corruption,  to  the  end  !' 

He  frequently  expresses  his  interest  in  his  Indian  ser- 
vants; pitying  them,  grieving  over  their  ignorance,  their 
dishonesty,  their  idolatry.     He  wonders  why  there  should 


236  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

be  such  a  difference  between  one  sinner  and  another, 
as  between  himself  and  them.  '  My  fellow-creature,'  he 
writes,  '  pulling  the  punkah,  tries  me.  Why  should  it  be 
thus,  when  I  am  seeking  to  approach  my  God,  who  is 
no  respecter  of  persons  ?' 

We  shall  now  give  two  series  of  extracts,  illustrative  of 
this  period  of  his  life— -first,  Fragments  from  letters  written 
to  Mrs.  Milne  during  her  absence  in  Scotland ;  and, 
secondly,  Quotations  from  a  diary  kept  by  him  during  his 
residence  in  India  with  great  regularity. 

We  give  the  letter-fragments  first ;  and  we  do  so  with- 
out any  order  or  connection  save  that  of  dates,  and  not 
always  even  that.  But  they  are  not  the  less  interesting 
from  being  so  miscellaneous. 

1 1  had  an  interesting  evening  with  old  G.  After  a  little 
conversation  about  Scotland,  we  got  to  better  things.  I  read 
several  of  the  psalms,  and  prayed,  and  he  told  me  a  good  deal 
of  his  history.  I  spoke  to  him  as  an  outcast,  in  love  and  pity, 
and  he  felt  it ;  but  assured  him,  on  the  ground  of  the  gospel, 
that  his  case  was  not  hopeless.     He  was  touched. 

'  How  many  sad,  sweet  memories  you  must  have  !  But  as 
time  passes,  the  sadness  will  pass,  and  the  sweetness  remain  ; 
and  we  shall  say,  "He  hath  led  us  by  the  right  way." 

'  I  agree  with  you  that  Ps.  lxv.  is  a  missionary  or  millenarian 
hymn.  There  is  a  little  cluster — lxv.,  lxvi.,  lxvii.,  lxviii. — like 
a  nest  of  honey,  put  in  before  Ps.  lxix.,  for  the  comfort  of  the 
man  of  sorrows. 

'  To-night  our  old  friends,  Mohendra  and  Nobin,  with  another 
young  man,  came  in  ;  and  we  have  been  for  nearly  two  hours 
beating  up  and  down,  I  fear  to  little  purpose,  except  that  onr 
feels  a  comfort  in  thinking  they  have  heard  a  good  deal  of  the 
word  of  God. 

1  June  1855. — Mrs.  Mullens  asked  me  if  I  would  go  and  visit 


LETTER-FRAGMENTS.  237 

a  friend  of  hers,  Mrs.  H.,  in  Park  Street,  who  is  dying  of  con- 
sumption. She  had  met  me  somewhere,  and  wished  to  see 
me.  ...  I  found  Mrs.  H.,  and  read  and  prayed.  They 
entreated  me  to  come  again.  She  seems  startled  ;  but  up  to 
this  time  has  lived  a  worldly  life.  .  .  .  Mrs.  H.  I  found 
worse.  .  .  .  Went  to  Mrs.  H.,  and  found  a  complete  change. 
Her  face  was  bright,  and  she  was  full  of  joy  and  thankfulness. 
She  said  the  Lord  had  opened  and  softened  her  heart,  and 
that  she  now  saw  the  Lord.  She  said  it  was  during  the  night ; 
her  husband  was  with  her,  and  was  praying,  when  the  light,  as 
she  said,  broke  in  on  her  mind,  and  she  began  to  see  the  truth, 
and  broke  forth  in  praise.  She  blessed  me  very  much  for 
having  come  and  spoken  to  her,  and  her  husband  came  with 
tears,  and  said,  "  All  this  change  is  since  you  came."  I 
cautioned  her  that  her  present  feelings  might  not  last ;  that 
Satan  would  tempt  her.  She  seemed  at  first  amazed,  but  at 
once  acquiesced,  when  I  said,  he  is  the  murderer  from  the 
beginning.  It  will  be  a  great  encouragement  if  this  is  indeed 
another  instance  of  redeeming  grace.  .  .  .  Mrs.  H.,  I  found, 
had  not  the  same  light  and  joy  as  before ;  but  was  peaceful, 
and  says  I  was  right  in  what  I  told  her.  She  says  she  is 
always  praying.  I  have  seen  her  twice  since  then,  and  really 
hope  that  the  Lord  has  visited  her  soul.  A  great  many  are 
now  gathering  round  her  of  the  church  to  which  she  belongs, 
and  they  all  seem  to  see  the  change.  .  .  .  Mrs.  H.  still 
lingers.  .  .  .  When  at  dinner,  a  note  came  from  Mr.  H.,  asking 
me  to  go  and  see  his  wife,  as  she  seemed  dying,  and  wished 
to  see  me.  I  have  been  there  a  good  while,  and  hope  that, 
though  a  sad  wreck  in  body,  she  will  die  in  peace. 

'A  note  has  just  come  to  say  that  Mrs.  H.  has  died  very 
peacefully.  Her  husband  wished  me  to  take  the  funeral  ser- 
vice ;  but  I  answered,  her  own  minister  should  take  it,  but 
I  would  attend. 

'  A  Mrs.  S.  joined  at  this  communion.  She  belonged  to  the 
English  Church,  but  has  been  attending  with  "us  for  a  good 
while.     Our  acquaintance  began  when  she  called  me  in  from 


238  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  street  to  see  her  sister,  whose  husband  had  died  on  his 
way  from  Rangoon.  I  have  seen  a  wonderful  progress  in 
both  sisters,  and  in  one  brother  and  his  wife  quite  a  little 
bundle  of  grace.  But  they  have  one  brother  who  still  does 
not  feel  the  truth.  He  never  went  to  church,  but  now  comes 
pretty  regularly  to  our  church,  and  they  say  they  pray  for  him 
night  and  day.  How  salvation  refines  and  elevates  !  It  seems 
I  had  twice  spoken  with  the  brother,  not  knowing  who  he  was. 
I  went  to  see  Mr.  M.,  who  is  soon  to  get  the  command  of  the 
"  Spy,"  a  surveying  vessel.  I  suppose  he  and  his  wife  will  join 
us.  God  has  begun  already,  I  should  think,  in  her.  She  had 
met  me  when  I  was  visiting,  and  sent  to  ask  me  if  I  would 
call  on  them. 

'  Last  night,  went  to  visit  sick  people — walking.  Among 
others  the  person  M.,  about  whom  Mr.  Ferguson  wrote  to 
me.  I  had  the  coachman  with  me,  and  he  tracked  his  way 
through  lanes  and  gullies,  in  the  moonlight,  like  a  hound.  I 
found  the  poor  youth  almost  gone — apparently  the  very  last 
stage  of  consumption. 

'Went  again  to  visit  sick,  first  M.  I  found  him  dying.  A 
good  man  was  there,  a  Baptist,  who  knew  him.  We  could 
make  nothing  of  him.  He  said  he  could  not  attend.  He 
asked  how  long  he  would  have  to  suffer.  Altogether  it  was 
the  most  hopeless,  melancholy  deathbed  I  have  ever  seen.  I 
took  Mr.  C,  the  Baptist,  who  is  a  good  man,  out  to  the  door, 
and  asked  what  he  knew  of  the  poor  young  man.  He  said,  he 
had  destroyed  himself  with  low  debauchery.  I  went  in  again, 
and  tried  in  various  ways  to  awaken  and  interest ;  but  in  vain. 
After  prayer,  I  had  to  go  to  others.  To-day,  Sabbath,  it  has 
been  fearfully  hot, — the  church  very  full,  and  oppressively 
hot.  At  the  Sabbath  school ;  several  of  the  teachers  absent ; 
but  we  made  out.  The  children  came  in  rather  late,  apparently 
waiting  till  the  sun  had  a  little  lessened  his  blaze.  In  the  even- 
ing church  thin.  This  has  been  a  happy  day,  though  I  have 
been  several  times  drenched  as  if  I  had  been  passed  through  a 
river.  ...  In  the  evening,  went  to  the  fort,  and  liked  the 


LE  TTER-FRA  GMENTS.  239 

meeting.  One  of  the  soldiers  of  the  98th,  who  volunteered,  and 
used  to  come  to  us,  spoke  with  me.  His  wife  has  gone  home 
with  the  little  Russels.  She  had  gone  to  see  him  at  Dum- 
Dum  before  leaving,  and  on  the  way  home  had  been  attacked 
by  two  artillerymen,  brutally  treated  and  robbed.  The  poor 
fellow  was  on  guard  when  he  heard  it,  and,  without  waiting  for 
leave,  he  ran  and  broke  out  of  barracks.  He  had  been  seized 
and  punished,  and  all  this  had  fairly  overset  him,  so  that, 
though  a  true  child  of  God,  he  had,  like  Job,  begun  to  repine 
against  God  and  man.  He  was  worn  to  a  shadow.  I  walked 
up  and  down  with  him,  and  he  seemed  to  get  light  and  com- 
fort a  little  again.  ...  I  have  been  visiting  a  good  deal,  and 
at  night  went  to  see  a  Mr.  L.,  in  Government  Place,  who  is 
dying  of  consumption.  He  is  a  merchant,  and  has  a  young 
wife  and  child.  The  doctor  says  he  can  only  linger  a  very  short 
time.  His  father,  in  England,  is  a  good  man,  they  say.  .  .  . 
I  have  just  been  seeing  Mr.  L.  He  is  dying.  He  seems 
full  of  peace  and  joy ;  in  the  middle  of  the  night  he  broke 
forth  in  thanksgiving.  He  said,  "  God  has  led  me  by  a 
strange  way ;  but  it  is  the  right  one,"  and  went  on  admiring 
and  glorifying  the  grace  of  God  to  one  who  had  sinned  so 
much.  He  said,  "Tell  my  father  that  I  shall  be  waiting  for  him ; " 
and  to  his  partner,  when  he  went  in,  in  the  morning,  he  said, 
"  I  thought  I  should  have  been  in  glory  ere  now ;  but  I  shall 
soon  be  there."  How  different  such  a  house  is  from  those 
which,  I  fear,  are  too  common  here  ! 

'  Mr.  M.,  the  chief  officer  of  the  ship,  is  very  ill,  I  suspect 
dying.  I  have  seen  him  two  or  three  times ;  but  have  not 
been  able  to  get  near  his  mind  as  yet.  ...  I  have  been  a 
long  time  with  poor  M.,  now  captain  of  the  "Spy."  They 
had  sent  for  me  ;  but  I  had  not  got  the  note,  having  gone 
out  early.  But  I  called  on  my  way,  and  found  him  sinking 
fast.  He  said,  "  I  have  neglected  Christ  too  much,  and  too 
long."  He  is  quite  calm  and  collected,  though  weak,  and  I 
think  the  Lord  is  touching  his  heart.  He  spoke  of  the  hard- 
ness of  his  heart,  the  difficulty  of  believing;    but  assented 


240  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

when  I  spoke  of  the  dying  thief.  He  must  have  long  been  a 
sufferer,  as  no  one  knew  what  was  the  matter ;  now  they  say 
cancer.  I  trust  it  is  to  be  a  case  like  that  of  L.  There  is 
something  interesting  in  the  candour  and  honesty  of  these  men. 
When  fairly  brought  to  a  stand,  they  confess  their  sin  and 
lost  estate,  and  so  are  ready  to  hear  of  the  Saviour.  They  are 
not  truth  proof.  It  is  a  kind  of  new  thing  to  them.  I  have  left 
the  doctor,  who  is  a  friend  of  his,  to  read  to  him.  I  said,  "  You 
see  his  state  of  mind.  He  feels  that  Christ  alone  can  help 
him  now."  He  said,  "  Yes,"  and  undertook  to  sit  by  him  and 
read  a  little  as  he  is  able  to  bear  it.  The  doctor  took  me  to  see 
another  officer  of  the  little  squadron  who  is  ill.  He  will  succeed 
M.  if  he  dies.  Is  it  not  curious  how  one  is  led  on  from  one 
person  to  another  ?  It  will  be  a  great  comfort  if  this  poor  fellow 
gives  evidence,  before  he  dies,  that  he  has  found  the  Lord. 

'  On  Thursday  morning,  ere  daybreak,  I  was  awakened  to 
receive  a  note,  saying  Captain  M.  was  dying,  and  wished  to 
see  me.  I  went.  He  was  quite  calm  and  self-possessed. 
Rallied  again,  and  continued  in  this  state  till  Friday  morning, 
when  he  gently  died,  and,  I  trust,  in  the  Lord.  .  .  .  Last  night 
I  went  to  the  hospital,  and  went  among  the  soldiers.  It  is  a 
sad  scene ;  quite  crowded,  and  doolies  coming  constantly  in 
with  sick  men.  I  found  Private  Jliffe,  who  has  been  the  be- 
ginning of  good  in  the  regiment,  lying  very  ill.  He  was  quite 
well  on  Monday  night  at  the  meeting,  went  on  duty  on  Tues- 
day morning,  and  was  brought  in  in  the  course  of  the  day. 
Sergeant  Hunter  I  found  very  ill.  In  the  woman's  hospital 
was  one  of  the  saddest  sights  I  have  ever  seen.  Near  the  door, 
Sergeant  Hunter's  wife  was  dying.  The  place  was  crowded  with 
women  more  or  less  ill,  their  children  round  them,  and  in  many 
cases  their  husbands.  They  cried,  "  You  are  welcome  ;  it  is  you 
we  need  here."  They  say  the  fort  is  like  an  oven,  and  they  are 
falling  by  tens  and  twenties.  Coming  out  I  met  a  fine-looking 
man,  Sergeant  D.  W.  He  was  almost  crying.  He  said,  "  I  am 
the  only  sergeant  fit  for  duty  in  my  company,  and  am  worked 
night  and  day.    My  wife  is  here  ill,  and  I  have  no  one  to  take 


HOSPITAL   VISITATIONS.  241 

care  of  my  three  young  children,"  and  he  struck  his  staff  on  the 
ground  in  a  kind  of  desperation.  I  have  promised  to  go  back 
this  forenoon.  Were  we  but  full  of  grace  and  truth,  there  is 
abundant  room  here  for  going  about  continually  doing  good. 
The  natives  say  yesterday  was  the  most  oppressive  day  we 
have  had.  Curious  enough,  I  was  much  out  and  enjoyed  it ; 
but  I  mean  to  rest  to-day.  .  .  .  About  twelve,  I  went  to  the 
hospital.  Mrs.  Hunter  died  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after 
I  left  last  night.  Many  of  the  women  were  Papists  ;  but  they 
seemed  all  glad  that  I  should  read  and  pray  with  them.  Then 
I  went  to  the  other  hospital.  Jliffe  seemed  a  little  better. 
He  said  he  had  been  delirious  during  the  night,  and  dream- 
ing of  my  sermon  on  Monday  night.  I  went  from  bed  to  bed. 
All  welcome  me,  even  the  Papists.  One  was  reading  the 
Douay  Bible.  I  took  it,  and  read  to  him  a  little.  Another 
was  reading  A  Kempis'  Imitation  of  Christ,  with  Popish 
blazonries  and  notes.  I  read  a  little  of  the  text,  and  spoke  to 
him,  and  one  or  two  more  near.  Then  up  to  the  third  storey. 
Several  had  died  since  I  was  there  last  night.  One  man  was 
dying  and  quite  unconscious.  I  tried  to  speak  to  him,  but  in 
vain.  So  two  or  three  of  them  came,  and  I  prayed  beside 
him.  A  little  crowd  gathered,  and  I  read  and  spoke  a  good 
deal.  Then  went  to  poor  rfunter.  He  was  much  cast  down. 
They  had  only  told  him  a  little  before  of  his  wife's  death. 
His  little  boy  of  four  years  old,  or  less,  was  standing  beside  his 
bed.  What  desolation  !  I  am  going  back  to-day.  I  think  it 
a  most  hopeful  field  ;  and  even  if  all  one  could  do  was  merely 
to  soothe  and  comfort,  I  would  go ;  but  I  think  the  Lord  is 
at  work.' 

The  following  extracts  are  from  letters  : — 

'  July  1855. — I  rose  early  and  walked  out.  An  old  man 
came  out  of  a  carriage.  I  walked  with  him  a  little,  and  spoke 
about  seeking  the  Lord  in  the  morning.  He  assented,  but 
said  the  world  took  such  hold  of  him.  ...  A  note  came  to- 
day, asking  me  to  go  and  see  a  Mrs.  P.,  whose  husband,  a  pilot, 

Q 


242  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

was  drowned  yesterday.  A  telegraph  message  came  up  of 
his  death.  I  found  her  a  young  creature  with  two  children. 
My  James'  Widows  are  all  gone,  but  I  still  have  some  Cecil's 

Visits.1  ...  I  have  seen  the They  were  not  out  on 

Sabbath,  for  their  horses  were  ill,  and  they  were  knocked  up, 
being  at  work  on  Saturday  from  6  A.M.  till  9  P.M.  I  said, 
"  You  look  oppressed  ;  tell  me  if  anything  is  troubling  you,  not 
what  it  is  ;  for,  of  course,  I  do  not  pry  into  your  private  mat- 
ters, but  that  I  may  sympathize  with  you."  He  told  me  that 
they  had  lost  money,  and  are  in  trouble  with  their  Australian 
trade,  as  many  now  are.  I,  of  course,  exhorted  him  to  cast 
his  burden  on  the  Lord. 

Aug.  1855. — Last  night  a  buggy  [a  gig]  was  overthrown  near 
the  gate  with  a  great  crash.  I  went  down  to  see  if  I  could 
help.  One  of  the  gentlemen  was  swearing.  After  sympathy, 
and  offer  of  my  carriage,  I  softly  said,  "  You  are  wrong.  You 
have  had  a  most  providential  escape ;  is  it  right  thus  to  dis- 
honour your  Deliverer?"  He  stopped  and  thanked  me,  and 
became  quite  quiet.  ...  At  night  went  to  the  sailors  in  Lai 
Bazaar.  I  went  into  the  street  and  brought  different  parties 
in  and  gave  them  hymn-books,  and  read  till  the  service  began. 
Mr.  Chill  was  doing  the  same,  arid  the  place  was  nearly  full. 
.  .  .  Have  been  a  little  round  with  the  beadle  to  hunt  up  for 
the  Sabbath  school.  After  that  I  went  to  the  sailors'  meet- 
ing in  Lai  Bazaar.  There  was  a  good  number.  I  took  "  Ye 
were  as  sheep  going  astray" — the  lost  sinner,  the  saved  sinner. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  impression.  When  we  finished,  for 
I  made  Chill  pray  and  close,  none  rose  to  go  away.  I  spoke 
a  little  to  them,  and  said,  "  You  have  encouraged  others  to  go 
astray  ;  try  to  bring  your  companions  here  ; — for  they  all  said 
they  would  come  back  next  night.  You  have  been  the  devil's 
tools,  now  try  to  be  Christ's  helpers  in  well-doing."  One  old 
boatswain  said,  "  I  have  been  the  wanderingest  sheep  of  all." 
...  I  have  had  a  visit  just  now  from  Mohendra  and  Nobin. 

1  One  of  these  books  he  generally  sent  to  every  one  in  sorrow. 


LETTERS  IN  1855.  243 


We  have  had  a  really  affecting,  interesting  meeting.  Mohendra 
asked  me  to  read  something  that  I  thought  suited  him.  I 
read  the  last  half  of  what  is  said  to  the  Ephesian  Church  : 
"  Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  because  thou 
hast  left  thy  first  love."  He  said  it  cut  him  to  the  heart,  and 
he  acknowledged  that  he  had  fallen.  He  again  asked  me  to 
read,  which  I  did  in  Jeremiah.  I  made  him  observe  the  passage 
in  Revelation  that  it  was  not  indiscriminate  censure,  for  it 
said,  "  Thou  hatest  the  deeds,"  etc.,  and  that  this  corresponded 
with  what  he  had  told  me,  that  he  could  not  go  in  with  the 
ways  of  many  of  the  medical  students.  It  turns  out  that  the 
present  movement  about  re-marriage  of  widows  originated  at 
our  meeting  in  his  house. 

1  Nov.  1855. — The  ceaseless  changes  of  Indian  society  try 
me ;  but  I  wish  to  go  quietly  on.  A  few  cases  such  as  that  of 
dear  A.  would  make  me  think  years  of  labour  and  trial  well 
spent. 

'  You  will  remember  the s  we  used  to  meet  out  driving. 

She  is  just  dead  and  her  baby  expected  to  follow.  .         I  have 

sent  Mr. a  little  book,  and  have  a  note  from  him.  .  .  .  Have 

found  Mr. 's  card  on  the  table.  .  .  . 

'  Called  on  Mr.  A.,  and  have  had  a  very  long,  interesting 
conversation  with  him,  going  over  passage  after  passage,  and 
trying  to  explain  difficulties.  He  is  in  a  very  interesting 
state,  and  is  anxious  that  it  may  not  pass  without  saving 
benefit ;  but  he  is,  as  you  may  suppose,  very  dark.  We 
have  gone  over  a  good  deal  to-day,  and  I  have  sent  for  the 
Anxious  Inquirer,  which  begins  with  "  Impressions,  and  the 
danger  of  losing  them."  .  .  .  Looked  in  on  Mr.  A.  He  took 
me  to  his  own  room.  He  said  he  was  coming  to  see  the 
truth.  He  is  in  a  most  interesting  state ;  I  should  say  con- 
verted. He  says,  he  has  got  great  good  from  the  Anxious 
Inquirer,  which  just  met  him  at  the  point  where  he  was,  and 
then  led  him  on,  removing  his  difficulties  and  errors.  He  said 
it  was  all  new  to  him  that  we  must  be  justified  before  we  can 
be  sanctified.    He  always  thought,  "  I  must  try  to  be  good,  and 


244  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

so  get  peace  with  God."  He  finds  the  Bible  a  new  book  ;  and, 
altogether,  I  think  the  Lord  is  leading  him  on  in  much  love. 
He  asked  me  to  pray,  and  then  I  asked  him,  which  he  did 
without  hesitation ;  but  was,  as  I  expected,  all  in  the  first  person, 
and  very  affecting  and  full,  thanking  God  for  not  cutting  him  off 
during  the  past  twenty-two  years  of  sin  and  carelessness.  He 
seems  being  amiable  and  candid.  He  says  he  wishes  to  come 
to  the  Free  Church  to-morrow.  .  .  .  Mr.  A.  came  in  this  morn- 
ing. He  is  in  a  beautiful  state  of  mind  ;  the  Lord  is  carrying 
him  on  without  cloud  or  interruption.  You  would  be  delighted 
with  much  that  he  says  ;  for  instance,  that  if  he  had  not  passed 
his  examinations  (which  he  had  just  done)  he  would  not  have 
be  surprised,  for  that  those  who  fear  God  have  glory  waiting 
them,  and  therefore  if  they  have  less  of  this  world's  good,  it 
would  be  no  wonder.  He  is  to  join  at  the  communion  with  us. 
...  A.  called  to-day.  He  is  a  fine  example  of  the  Spirit's 
teaching,  and  I  trust  the  Lord  will  use  him.  We  prayed  to- 
gether, each  in  turn.  There  is  great  freshness  about  all  his 
views,  and  yet  he  is  but  a  boy.  ...  In  the  afternoon  Mr. 

came  in,  and  we  have  had  much  pleasant  and  happy 

conversation.  What  a  world  it  would  be  if  all  were  converted  ! 
.  .  .  Nov.  1855. — Mr. came  in,  and  we  went  to  the  grave- 
yard to  see  the  tomb  he  has  erected  over  the  grave  of  his  wife. 
On  returning,  he  remained  with  me  for  a  little,  and  we  both 
prayed,  and  then  he  left.  I  fe*;l  as  if  I  had  lost  a  brother.1  .  .  . 
Nov.  1855. —  I  am  sometimes  inclined  to  murmur  at  the  strange 
isolation  I  feel ;  but  I  am  checked  by  the  thought  how  many 
are  in  the  same  condition,  scattered  up  and  down  this  vast 
land,  and  cut  off,  in  youth,  and  for  many  years  from  their 
friends.  So  I  am  not  going  to  give  Satan  a  song  by  idle  com- 
plaint.    Besides,  you  know,  faith,  if  it  were  lively,  would  soon 

1  Mr.  Milne  and  Mr.  A.  never  met  again.  For  many  years  they 
kept  up  a  close  correspondence  ;  and  last  year,  when  Mr.  A.  had  the 
prospect  of  being  in  Scotland,  Mr.  Milne  looked  forward  with  great 
desire  to  see  him  again  j  but  on  several  occasions  was  disappointed. 


LEANINGS  TO  MILLENARIANISM.  245 

bring  us  into  good  company  ;  "  Ye  are  come  to  Mount  Zion,  and 
to  the  city  of  the  living  God."  There  is  the  family  beneath  and 
the  family  above.  .  .  .  Nov.  1855. — I  trust  that,  wherever  we 
are,  the  Lord  will  give  us  grace  to  love  and  serve  and  live  for 
Him.  I  think  my  views  are  becoming  more  settled  in  seeing 
only  two  objects  on  earth — the  kingdom  of  grace  and  the  king- 
dom of  darkness.  The  one  I  should  like  to  live  in  and  to  see 
advancing,  and  help  it  on ;  the  other  I  should  like  to  leave 
wholly  and  for  ever,  and  to  see  its  diminution  and  decay.  .  .  . 
I  am  passing  through  a  good  deal  of  trial  in  my  own  soul,  but 
I  think  the  Lord  will  bring  forth  judgment  unto  victory.  I  am 
crushed  under  a  sense  of  unworthiness  ;  everything  about  me 
and  around  me  seems  so  unlike  the  great  salvation,  little, 
selfish,  earthly.  Who  will  be  the  first  to  awake  and  live  and 
speak  as  a  child  of  light  and  heir  of  glory  ?  I  have  a  strange 
feeling  of  uselessness,  which  is  sometimes  quite  oppressive  ; 
but  I  trust  I  shall  be  enabled  to  wait  quietly  till  the  clouds 
break  and  pass  away. 

'  December  1855. — I  have  been  reading  the  Lent  Lectures  for 
1854  in  St.  George's  Church,  Bloomsbury.  They  are  feeble  ; 
but  that  does  not  repel  or  disincline  me  from  Millenarianism, 
because  I  believe  that  it  is  seen  not  by  any  eminence  of  talent, 
but  by  the  illumination  of  God.  I  think  Jerusalem  will  be  the 
metropolis  of  the  Christian  world,  and  that,  as  many  now  go 
from  superstition  there  from  year  to  year,  so  all  nations  will 
then  go  in  love  and  thankfulness  to  worship  the  Lord.  But 
whether  Christ  will  be  visibly  present  and  accessible  there,  I 
do  not  know,  and  dare  not  give  a  decided  opinion  ;  but  all  my 
sympathies  are  with  you. 

1  January  1856. — Called  on  Mrs.  M.,  who  is  in  great  distress 
about  her  son  at  Peshawur,  who  is  ill,  and  her  husband  will 
not  show  her  the  letter  about  it.  I  said,  "The  way  in  which  you 
can  best  help  him,  is  by  putting  away  your  cares  and  fears,  and 
trying  to  pray  in  strong  faith  and  hope."  .  .  .  Should  we  not 
observe  little  things  ?  When  I  was  at  the  funeral  yesterday,  I 
saw  a  man  looking  about  as  if  the  burial  service  were  not  in- 


246  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

tended  to  be  followed  and  felt.  I  turned  towards  him,  and  he 
became  attentive ;  but  I  thought  I  should  like  to  speak  to  him. 
I  lost  sight  of  him,  however,  in  the  crowd.  Well,  yesterday, 
when  I  went  into  L.'s  shop,  I  found  my  friend;  so  I  said,  "You 
were  at  the  funeral  last  night ;"  and  then  put  my  hand  on  his 
shoulder,  and  spoke  seriously  and  kindly  to  him.  ...  I  have 
had  a  visit  from  two  Baboos.  One  is  one  of  those  of  whom 
we  several  times  had  hopes.  I  said,  "  Are  you  still  sticking  in 
the  mire?"  He  said,  he  thought  he  was  advancing  a  little. 
The  other  seemed  a  flippant,  self-complacent  fellow.  I  said, 
"Are  you  a  Christian  ?"  He  said,  "No;  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  am 
not  a  Christian."  I  said,  "You  are  not  sorry;  I  wish  you  were, 
for  then  there  might  be  some  hope."  And  I  felt  checked,  when 
I  remembered  the  young  ruler. 

'March  1856. — I  am  not  sure  that  the  J.s  have  re,gular 
family  worship ;  so,  what  do  you  think  I  did  when  I  called  to- 
day ?  I  made  his  boy  turn  up  Eph.  vi.  1-3,  and  read  it.  Then 
asked,  "What  is  nurture  ?"  "  Food."  "What  was  baby's  food  ?" 
"  Milk."  "Well,  that's  for  the  body ;  but  what  is  nurture  for  the 
soul?"  We  turned  to  1  Peter  ii.  1.  "The  word  of  God."  "Well," 
I  said,  "your  father  labours,  and  he  gives  you  nurture  for  the 
body, — how  often  ?"  "  Breakfast,  etc."  "And  how  often  nurture 
forthesoul?"  "Morning  and  evening."  "Does  he  not  read  and 
pray  with  you  ?"  The  boy  looked  at  the  father,  and  the  mother 
looked,  and  I  did  not  look,  but  went  on  speaking  a  little.  .  .  . 
I  have  been  to  see  Mrs.  M.  She  said,  "  Neither  I  nor  my  hus- 
band are  very  pious ;  but  we  think  it  wrong  to  profess  what 
we  do  not  feel,  as  many  do."  I  said,  "  Right,  madam,  in  that ; 
but  it  is  very  wrong  not  to  feel  pious.  You  and  your  husband 
ought  to  fear  God,  and  trust  Christ,  and  repent."  She  looked 
rather  taken  aback,  but  was  peculiarly  friendly.  .  .  .  Called 

on  [the  husband  of  the  lady  to   whom  the  previous 

extract  refers.  Both  were  Episcopalians].  Spoke  of  various 
matters.  After  a  little  I  brought  in  religion,  and  felt  my  way. 
Had  he  never  had  deeper  convictions  than  at  present?  He 
looked  very  sharply;  but  I  looked  at  him,  and  so  he  went  on, 


LETTERS.  247 

and  said  he  had,  but  business  had  carried  him  away.  I  said 
religion  did  not  require  long  research.  It  brings  us  a  heavenly 
Friend,  who  is  willing  and  able  to  support  us  under  those 
crushing  responsibilities  and  perplexities  of  which  we  had 
been  speaking.  "  Hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live."  He  said  he 
had  been  originally  intended  for  the  Church,  and  would  have 
got  a  living  in  Ireland."  "But,"  I  said,  "you  know  I  have  a 
roving  commission, — '  every  creature,'  and  so  count  you  as  a 
patient."  He  said,  "You  are  right ;  I  am  obliged,  and  could 
not  be  offended."     We  parted  very  kindly. 

1  May  1856. — Dr.  K.  has  been  in.  He  is  of  an  inquiring, 
speculative  turn  of  mind,  and  says  he  feels  in  doubt  about 
many  of  the  truths  of  God.     I  think  he  will  be  led  on. 

'  July  1856. — I  have  been  writing  to  Dr.  K.,  sending  him  Miss 
Graham's  memoir.  I  ask  that  our  intercourse  yesterday  may 
be  the  beginning  of  an  open,  brotherly  correspondence,  which, 
I  trust,  will  end  in  his  saying,  "  My  Lord,  and  my  God  ! "  I  say 
that  I  have  little  faith  in  men's  reasonings  ;  that  a  true  Chris- 
tian is  God's  own  creation,  born  again  of  God  ;  that  the  doubts 
and  questionings  he  feels  are  no  cause  for  pride,  but  for  sorrow 
and  humiliation ;  that  they  are  a  fruit  of  sin,  and  only  found 
among  men  on  earth, — devils  believe  and  tremble,  and  even 
infidels  drawing  near  to  eternity  distrust  their  former  doubts  ; 
that  I  think  the  Bible  is  our  best  witness  when  it  is  read  prayer- 
fully ;  that  many  things  may  seem  at  first  mysterious  and  un- 
accountable, but  postpone  seeking  the  explanation  till  you  are 
more  fully  acquainted  with  divine  truth.  There  are  many 
things  in  your  own  profession  which  you  did  not  comprehend 
at  the  commencement,  and  if  you  had  insisted  on  getting  an 
explanation  you  would  never  have  been  Dr.  K. 

1  August  1856. — On  board  the  steamer  going  to  Benares. — 
There  is  a  young  man  on  board,  exceedingly  clever  and  well 
informed,  who  has  been,  and  still  is,  very  ill.  I  should  think 
he  may  not  live  long,  but  it  is  difficult  to  get  access  to  his 
mind.  He  shrinks  from  any  allusion  that  might  make  him 
think  himself  in  any  danger.     Perhaps  I  may  get  an  opening 


243  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

ere  we  part.  .  .  .  We  were  conversing  on  deck  last  night, 
when  the  others  gradually  dropped  away  and  left  me  alone  with 
H.,  the  sick  young  man,  and  I  had  an  opportunity  of  speaking 
to  him,  which  I  had  scarcely  looked  for.  He  took  it  in  good 
part,  and  we  parted  shaking  hands  heartily. 

'  Sabbath  Morning,  August  1856. — On  board  the  steamer. 
— At  breakfast  I  prayed  that  we  might  have  a  little  of  the  Sab- 
bath rest  and  Sabbath  spirit.  The  captain,  beside  whom  I 
sit,  said,  "  I  have  never  been  so  happy  in  any  voyage  before  ; 
and  when  we  reach  Monghyr,  about  1  o'clock,  I  shall  stop  for 
the  day,  and  get  and  give  the  Sabbath  rest." ' 

Each  day  during  this  trip  he  had  a  little  meeting  for 
reading  the  Bible  and  prayer  in  his  cabin.  It  began  with 
young  men,  but  gradually  others  joined ;  even  the  cap- 
tain. At  one  of  the  stations  on  the  way  up  the  river, 
the  judge  read  the  English  service,  and  asked  Mr.  Milne 
to  preach,  which  he  did. 

'  September  1856. — Coming  down  the  river  to  Calcutta. — I 
had  beside  me  to-day  a  person  who  says  he  has  wandered  over 
most  of  the  world,  except  Australia,  and  he  is  going  there.  I 
said,  "What  have  you  learned?"  He  answered,  "To  be  a 
fool."  I  looked  at  him,  and  said,  "  It  is  time  for  you  now  to 
learn  to  be  wise,"  and  then  spoke  to  him.  .  .  .  Yesterday  I 
gave  tracts,  and  they  have  been  handed  about  the  ship.  The 
captain  took  me  to  his  cabin  last  night  and  seemed  much 
affected.  This  morning  he  has  been  reading  on  deck,  and 
came  and  sat  beside  me,  and  I  read  little  bits  to  him  out  of 
my  Bible.  .  .  .  We  have  had  at  dinner  a  debate  about  keep- 
ing the  Sabbath.  Of  course  it  came  to  little  ;  and  I  don't  think 
that  is  the  way  to  do  much  good.  In  the  evening  I  got  into 
talk  with  the  chief  malcontents,  first  speaking  about  tiger- 
hunting  and  then  the  Sabbath.  I  said,  "  The  question  should 
not  be  about  this  way  or  that  way  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  but, 
are  we  converted  men  ?     If  we  loved  God,  and  had  our  citizen- 


LETTERS.  249 

ship  in  heaven,  would  we  weary  of  the  spiritual  employments 
of  the  Sabbath  and  pant  for  worldly  amusements?"  They 
quite  went  along  with  me.  .  .  .  Captain  G.  has  been  speak- 
ing a  good  deal  to  me,  and  says  he  was  much  affected  last 
Sabbath  during  sermon.  .  .  .  C.  came  also  and  said  much 
the  same,  that  he  would  have  cried  but  for  shame.  He  told 
me  of  his  wife's  death,  and  other  trials.  I  spoke  a  little  to 
him,  and  then  asked  him  to  lean  over  the  gunwale  of  the  vessel, 
and  I  prayed  shortly. 

'  October  1856. — As  a  minister  I  feel  I  have  a  right  to  speak 
to  every  creature,  and  usually  I  don't  allow  it  to  lie  idle.  .  .  . 
I  have  just  been  thinking  that  Christ's  coming  is  a  definite,  and 
distinct,  and  comprehensible  object.  Put  this  away,  and  then 
death,  heaven,  and  a  kind  of  dreamy  idea  of  lengthened  life  is 
all  that  people  have  to  occupy  the  future.  All  along,  since  it 
was  said,  "The  seed  of  the  woman,"  etc.,  there  has  been  a  looking 
forward  to  the  coming  of  a  PERSON.  .  .  .  Calcutta. — I  went  in 
last  night  to  see  Mr.  W.,  an  Oxford  man,  a  civilian.  We 
talked  first  about  general  matters,  then  about  his  religious 
state  ;  and  we  got  into  a  frank,  open-hearted  conversation, 
going  over  a  great  deal  of  ground,  and  ending  with  the  Bible. 
...  I  have  just  been  thinking  how  strangely  the  Lord  has 
brought  us  into  acquaintance  with  His  people  all  over  this 

land  !     I  gave  eleven  notes  to  the  B s  ;  for  I  found  that  I 

could  introduce  them  to  children  of  God  in  every  place  they 
went  to  on  their  way  to  Bareilly.  But  we  must  not  rejoice  in 
this,  but  only,  and  constantly,  and  greatly  in  the  Lord.  I  find 
that,  whenever  I  begin  to  feed  on  any  earthly  thing,  and  to  roll 
it  as  a  sweet  morsel  under  my  tongue,  it  invariably  becomes 
bitter,  and  the  idol  is  turned  into  a  cross.  .  .  .  Last  night,  I 

went  to  see  the  D s,  and  stopped  a  little.    For  the  first  time, 

there  was  an  indication  of  life  in  D .     After  reading  and 

prayer,  he  was  telling  me  about  a  little  nephew,  who  went  to 
Southampton  to  meet  his  mother,  and  met  only  her  corpse, 
she  having  died  during  the  voyage.  He  said,  "  The  scene  was 
heart-rending."    I  said,  "  The  saddest  scene  in  all  the  world  was 


250  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Calvary,  and  this  opened  his  heart."  I  think  he  got  good  or. 
Sabbath.  We  had  real  talk,  and  parted  with  the  look  you 
know.  I  fear  he  is  a  dying  man,  and  may  be  carried  off  at 
any  time,  and  it  would  be  so  nice  to  see  him  on  the  Rock.  .  .  . 
At  the  missionary  breakfast,  the  question  was,  "  Should  mis- 
sionaries, after  being  a  number  of  years  in  India,  have  a  fur- 
lough, even  though  they  are  not  ill  ?"  Some  nice  remarks 
were  made.  When  it  came  to  me,  I  said,  "  I  thought  they 
were  very  naturally  looking  at  one  side  of  the  question — their 
own ;  but  that  there  was  another.  What  was  good  for  the 
Church?  Did  not  the  people  at  home  require  that  mission- 
aries should  go  among  them,  and  tell  them  what  the  Lord  was 
doing,  and  kindle  the  flame  of  missionary  zeal  ?  At  present, 
when  they  went  home  only  in  bad  health,  they  either  were 
unfit  for  this,  or  it  injured  them.  But  that  the  furlough  at  the 
end  of  some  years,  might  send  strong  men  who  would  do  good 
service  at  home ;  that  a  dreary,  interminable  prospect  sunk  a 
man's  spirit ;  but  that,  if  he  saw  a  little  way  before  him  rest 
and  change,  he  was  quickened  and  reanimated."  ...  A 
gentlemanly  man  called  with  a  note  from  J.  G.,  an  old  friend 
in  Perth.  We  talked  about  various  things  pleasantly,  and  he 
rose  to  go.  I  said,  "  I  will  read  a  little,"  and  he  sat  down.  I 
read  Psalm  xxxiv.,  and  prayed.  He  thanked  me.  He  is  look- 
ing out  for  employment,  and  I  prayed  that  he  might  be  guided. 
In  a  moment  or  two  he  opened  up,  and  we  had  a  most  delight- 
ful conversation.  It  was  very  touching.  He  is  to  join  with  us 
on  Sabbath.  He  is  living  in  the  house  with  young  G.  I  told 
him  what  trouble  I  had  had  in  vain,  trying  to  get  that  young 
man  to  church,  and  said,  "You  must  help  me."  He  is  to 
watch,  and  try  what  he  can  do.  His  face  quivered  as  I  spoke 
of  the  responsibility  of  those  who  knew  the  truth.  As  we  shook 
hands,  I  said,  "  Well  now,  if  I  had  not  proposed  prayer,  we 
should  have  parted,  and  never  thought  of  one  another  any 
more ;  now  I  hope  we  are  friends  for  ever."  ...  I  had  a  long 
walk  and  talk  last  night  with  Colonel  B.  He  says  he  is 
over-wrought — fourteen  hours  a  day, — and  he  cannot  stand  it. 


LETTERS.  25 1 

I  spoke  of  the  rest,  and  Hezekiah's  prayer,  "  Lord,  I  am  op- 
pressed." It  was  very  nice.  ...  A  Prussian,  and  one  of  the 
leading  merchants  in  the  Straits,  has  been  to  lunch.  He 
opened  his  mind  to  me.  I  read  and  prayed  with  him,  and  he 
seemed  affected. 

1  March  1857. — I  think  it  likely  that  God  will  break  up  all 
existing  organizations  of  the  visible  Church  ;  He  will  thresh 
the  barn-floor,  and  gather  out  His  own.  But  He  will  do  it,  not 
man.  .  .  .  We  should  have  no  glory  but  Christ's.  It  is  a 
miserable  thing  to  be  esteemed  and  praised  by  those  who 
despise  and  neglect  Christ.  Hence  I  should  think  that  to  be 
popular  with  worldly  men  should  make  people  very  anxious 
about  themselves.  True,  Christ  was  followed,  but  that  arose 
from  curiosity,  self-interest,  and  misconception.  When  they 
really  knew  Him,  and  His  doctrine,  and  His  aim,  they  went 
away  and  crucified  Him.  .  .  .  There  would  seem  to  be  a 
dotage  as  well  as  an  infancy  in  human  science.  Long  ago, 
when  men  knew  little  of  nature,  they  thought  matter  and 
motion  enough  to  account  for  all.  And  now,  when  centuries 
of  observation  and  experiment  have  accumulated  stores  of  true 
knowledge,  they  still  come  to  the  same  sad  conclusion,  that 
dead  matter,  and  blind,  necessary  laws,  without  a  designing, 
overruling  God,  can  account  for  all.  .  .  . 

1  March  1856. — In  speaking  on  the  ten  virgins,  I  said  that 
there  was  no  painter  like  Christ.  Here  was  a  picture  of  the 
Church  in  all  places  and  ages.  .  She  slumbers  and  sleeps.  Her 
normal  state  ought  to  be  life  and  activity ;  but  it  was  not  so. 
Now  and  then  a  spasmodic  galvanic  upstarting,  and  a  promise 
of  doing  great  things  ;  but  soon  the  head  begins  to  nod,  the 
eyelids  to  droop,  the  limbs  are  relaxed,  and  down  she  sinks. 
Was  it  not  so  in  Calcutta  ?  I  had  been  told  there  had  been 
better  times  ;  but  where  now  were  the  men  with  loins  girt  and 
lamps  burning  ?  where  the  line  of  demarcation  ?  where  are  the 
godly  ?  You  say,  In  church.  Right.  You  say,  At  the  com- 
mittees of  religious  societies  to-morrow  or  next  day.  But 
where  were  they  last  night,  or  the  night  before  ?    Was  it  at  the 


252  LIFE  OF  REV.   JOHN  MILNE 

masquerade,  the  fancy  ball,  the  idle  meeting  of  frivolity  and 
worldliness ;  and  there  up  to  twelve  o'clock,  or  perhaps  be- 
yond ?  The  worldly  go  to  church  with  the  godly,  and  the 
godly  go  to  Vanity  Fair  with  the  worldly,  and  thus  they  alter- 
nate ;  they  are  just  in  one  cradle,  and  the  devil  is  rocking  it. 
And  so  the  rich  man  with  his  large  barns,  is  not  his  name 
Legion  ?  Might  we  not  say  to  almost  any  man  we  meet,  "  Friend, 
did  you  not  sit  for  your  portrait  more  than  1800  years  ago  ?"  . . . 
If  you  write  to  Andrew  Bonar,  tell  him  I  am  greatly  enjoying 
Baumgarten  on  the  Acts,  and  that,  if  anything  human  will 
make  me  a  millenarian  brother,  I  think  it  will.' 

We  now  give  the  journal-fragments,  which  will,  we  think, 
greatly  interest  the  reader,  as  illustrations  of  the  writer's 
own  mind,  and  as  a  record  of  his  work.  With  his  feet 
consciously  upon  the  rock,  he  looks  within  and  around. 

'■Calcutta,  31J/  October  1854. — Lord,  Thou  knowest  all  things ; 
search  me  and  try  me.  I  desire,  through  Thy  blood  and  Spirr  , 
and  word  and  providence,  deliverance  from  my  besetting  sins, 
many  of  which  I  know,  many  I  do  not  know.  Make  me 
like  Thyself,  a  lover  of  righteousness  and  a  hater  of  iniquity.  I 
read  that  "  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  should  rest  on  Thee,  and  make 
Thee  of  quick  understanding  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord."  Lord,  I 
covet  this.  Change  me,  and  I  shall  be  changed.  I  desire  the 
fleshly  tablet  of  the  heart,  which  will  be  ever  alive  to  the  inti- 
mations of  Thy  will,  and  so  receive  and  retain  Thy  teachings 
from  moment  to  moment.  I  desire  henceforth  to  live  unto 
Thee.  Make  me  see  Thy  glory  and  Thy  loveliness,  that  I  may 
rejoice  in  my  portion,  and  that  my  weak  heart  may  wander  no 
more.  Forgive  the  sins  of  yesterday,  sins  known  to  Thee  and 
to  my  own  heart,  and  keep  me  this  day,  that  I  may  no  more 
grieve  and  wrong  Thee.  How  foolish,  how  miserable,  to  be 
pleasing  men,  and  displeasing  Thee  !  Having  such  promises, 
I  would  cleanse  myself  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and 
spirit,  and  walk  with  Thee  in  a  filial,  loving,  honest  spirit. 

'  I  have  now  been  a  year  and  five  months  in  this  country. 


HIS  CAICUTTA  JOURNAL. 


I  find  it  too  true,  ccelos  non  animos  mutant  qui  trans  mare 
currunt.  The  sins  that  clave  to  me  in  Scotland  cleave  to  me 
here.  Lord,  give  me  deliverance  !  I  seek  it  by  faith,  and  not 
by  the  works  of  the  law.  Teach  me  how  to  perfect  holiness 
in  the  fear  of  God,  and  then,  my  heart  no  more  condemning 
me,  I  shall  have  boldness  before  God  and  man.  I  see  an  ex- 
ceeding proneness  to  legalism  in  my  heart,  a  wish  to  value 
myself,  and  to  rejoice  in  efforts  made  and  success  attained. 
It  seems  utter  death  to  give  this  up  ;  yet  help  me,  Lord,  from 
this  moment,  through  Thy  grace,  to  do  so.  May  I  rejoice  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh.  My  soul, 
think  not,  speak  not  of  thyself,  but  make  thy  boast  in  the  Lord. 
I  desire  to  do  my  daily  work  heartily  and  carefully,  and  leave 
the  issues  with  the  Lord.  I  should  like  to  look,  not  at  the 
things  that  are  seen,  whether  prosperous  or  adverse,  but  to  the 
things  that  are  not  seen.  I  think  I  see  a  hope  of  being  useful 
in  my  ministerial  work,  though  there  will  be  difficulties  and 
disappointments  to  the  end.  But  I  feel  that  I  am  differently 
situated  here  from  what  I  was  at  home.  There  the  eye  was 
fixed  on  my  own  sphere  almost  exclusively ;  here  I  look  at  the 
whole  country,  and  look  and  labour  for  its  elevation.  I  think 
I  feel  my  heart  drawn  increasingly  to  India,  so  that  it  would 
be  a  kind  of  death  now  to  leave  it.  I  am  disappointed  both  in 
the  character  of  missionary  work  here,  and  also  in  the  amount 
and  value  of  its  results.  Perhaps  I  have  too  little  considered 
the  difficulties,  and  been  too  apt  to  blame.  Let  me  rejoice  that 
there  are  Christian  instrumentalities  at  work,  even  though  I 
think  they  are  in  some  things  in  error,  and  less  efficient  than 
they  might  be.     Lord,  arise  and  plead  Thine  own  cause. 

'  November  \th. — I  see  that  we  can  only  overcome  by  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb.  There  is  a  great  tendency  here  to  yield 
to  external  circumstances,  and  sink  down ;  and  yet  the  only 
safety  is  in  a  continual  watchfulness  and  girding  up.  I  must 
work  the  work  of  God.  Lord,  help  me  to  be  pitiful  with  others, 
but  stern  with  myself. 

'  November  2gt/i. — I  have  been  thinking  of  the  certainty  of 


25+  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  punishment  of  sin.  We  never  doubt  that  to  go  contrary 
to  material  laws  will  bring  evil ;  for  instance,  he  who  throws 
himself  into  the  fire  will  be  burned  ;  much  more  he  who  breaks 
any  moral  law  shall  die.  Fire  is  only  a  creature,  and  God  may 
change  and  restrain  its  properties,  as  He  has  often  done ;  but 
the  law  is  an  expression  of  God's  holy,  essential  nature,  and 
ere  it  can  be  prevented  from  carrying  its  sanctions  into  effect, 
God's  own  nature  must  be  changed.  But  He  changeth  not — 
He  cannot  deny  Himself.  How  overwhelming  the  thought 
that,  living  in  sin,  we  have  been  in  greater  danger  than  if  we 
had  been  plunging  into  a  sevenfold  heated  furnace  ! 

'  November  30th. — I  desire  this  day  to  seek,  and  find,  and 
hold  fast  my  Lord.  How  empty  are  my  days  and  nights  of 
Thee,  O  blessed  One,  who  alone  canst  fill  all  in  all !  .  .  .  I 
have  been  reading  the  life  of  young  M'Intosh; — sadly  interest- 
ing. It  may  be  good  that,  now  and  then,  such  an  instance 
may  be  given  of  the  result  of  study  carried  on  under  the  most 
favourable  circumstances ;  but  I  think  I  would  rather  be  the 
earnest  worker  than  the  earnest  student.  I  think  the  two 
should  go  hand  in  hand,  else  we  shall  become  mere  literateurs 
and  sentimentalists,  or  sink  into  the  dull  rut  of  regular, 
mechanical,  unthinking  labour.  I  think  he  got  the  good  of 
such  a  life,  passing  from  land  to  land,  and  examining  many 
shades  of  opinion,  true  and  false.  I  should  like  to  get  to  my 
Lord's  stand-point,  and  see  as  He  sees,  and  feel  as  He  feels. 
It  is  a  dangerous  experiment,  however,  to  sit  in  judgment  upon 
divers  opinions  ;  and  there  is  a  risk  of  becoming  ultimately  un- 
fixed and  drifting  about  without  any  anchorage.  M.'s  safety, 
if  he  did  escape  the  danger,  arose  from  his  hold  of  Christ,  and 
his  having  got  beyond  the  doctrinal  to  the  personal  truth.  I 
think  I  can  see,  as  he  drew  near  the  close  of  life,  that  the  mare 
magnum  of  inquiry  and  investigation  was  still  opening  up  to 
him,  and  that  the  time  was  still  far  off  when  he  would  have 
cried,  "  Stop,  it  is  enough." 

'  December  ^d. — Sabbath  night. — I  have  been  helped  in  my 
work,  and  found  it  a  pleasant  day.     My  comforts  at  present 


HIS  CALCUTTA  JOURNAL.  255 

are  very  many.  May  these  loving-kindnesses  sink  down  into 
my  heart,  and  prepare  me  for  times  of  darkness  and  trial.  I 
have  had  some  risings  of  the  flesh  to-day  at  the  lukewarmness, 
selfishness,  and  want  of  hearty  co-operation  on  the  part  of  those 
who  should  be  friends ;  but  trust  not  in  a  friend,  but  trust  in 
the  Lord ;  blessed  are  they  that  wait  on  Him.  Faith  can  carry 
through  all.  The  quiet  mornings  here  are  invaluable.  One 
feels  fresh  after  the  repose  of  the  night,  and  gives  to  the  Lord 
what  progress  he  may  make  in  good,  and  what  preparation 
he  may  receive  for  the  trials  and  requirements  of  the  day. 
But  too  often  they  are  lost.  There  is  the  morning  walk  ;  the 
meeting  with  friends,  and  weariness  ;  there  is  the  morning 
lounge  ;  the  silly,  worthless  newspaper,  laid  often  on  the  bed  ere 
they  are  awake.  I  have  been  trying  to-night  to  warn  against 
these.  Lord,  give  Thy  blessing,  and  grant  me  to  keep  myself 
unspotted. 

1  December  $th. — Tuesday  night. — Busy  yesterday.  The 
mail  arrived,  and  our  tidings  were  pleasant.  Busy  again  to- 
day. Many  mercies,  and  yet  evil  return.  It  is  not  truth  in  the 
mind,  but  in  the  heart,  that  will  influence  the  heart.  There  is 
no  perfection  or  real  trustworthiness  but  in  Christ.  He  is  the 
Rock ;  but,  looking  to  Him,  we  should  aim  at  perfection,  even 
to  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit. 

'  December  yth. — Thursday  morning. — Some  help  and  com- 
fort yesterday.  I  feel  that  my  calling  is  to  walk  in  love,  not 
returning  evil  for  evil,  but,  contrariwise,  blessing.  Lord,  make 
my  heart  soft  to-day.  I  cannot  learn,  and  I  cannot  do  others 
good,  while  my  heart  is  hard  and  wilful.  Lord,  make  me  ten- 
der and  contrite  now,  and  let  me  take  my  motives  from  Thee, 
and  receive  my  joy  from  Thee,  and  be  the  servant  of  God  and 
not  of  men. 

'■December  gt/i. — Saturday  morning. — Passing  on  ;  busy,  ana 
yet  not  much  seems  to  be  done.  Thursday  evening. — Meeting 
of  Presbytery,  to  arrange  for  Mr.  Mackay  going  to  Scotland, 
and  Mr.  Millar  to  Australia.  Friday. — Various  trials,  which 
serve  to  show  me  what  I  am.     Lord,  help  me  to  live  in  Thee 


256  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

and  on  Thee.  The  evil  that  is  within  me  is  unspeakable. 
Save  me  from  its  eruptions,  and  from  its  indwelling  dominion 
and  power.  I  see  the  duty  of  watching  and  resisting  at  once, 
and  discovering  all  its  motions  and  beginnings.  Lord,  help 
me.  Make  my  heart  right  with  Thee,  and  let  me  no  more 
identify  myself  with  the  work  of  the  devil.  I  find  in  this  place 
strange  undercurrents  of  evil,  causing  unlooked-for  umbrage 
and  alienation,  so  that  I  am  often  out  in  my  calculations. 
But  why  am  I  more  discontented  at  this  than  the  mariner  on 
the  deep,  when  he  finds  himself  frustrated  by  adverse  tides  and 
winds  ?  Surely  the  children  of  this  world  are  wiser  than  the 
children  of  light.  They  are  more  practical,  more  reasonable  ; 
they  hold  on  their  way.  Help  me,  Lord  ;  my  hope  is  in  Thee. 
Grant  times  of  blessing,  and  then  there  will  be  union.  I  fear 
it  would  often  be  hard  for  some  to  rejoice  if  the  Lord  were  to 
give  the  blessing  to  others.  How  selfish  we  are,  seeking  each 
our  own  things,  and  not  the  things  of  Christ !  Enable  me  to 
rejoice  in  all  that  is  the  joy  of  Christ.  I  am  affected  by  that 
word,  "My  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him."  God  may 
still  remain  by  His  providential,  upholding  presence,  but  He 
finds  no  delight,  and  He  expects  no  gladness.  He  was  still 
with  the  men  of  the  world  before  the  Deluge,  but  it  grieved 
Him  at  His  heart  to  be  among  them. 

'  December  12th. — Tuesday  morning. — Went  to  Chinsurah  on 
Saturday  evening.  Preached  on  Sabbath,  and  in  the  after- 
noon went  among  the  natives  and  villages  which  have  lately 
been  almost  depopulated  by  infectious  disease.  Sad  scenes  of 
misery.  Dying  like  the  beast,  and  not  knowing  nor  caring 
what  after  becomes  of  them.  I  have  been  kept  during  these 
days.  Lord,  help  me  to  possess  my  soul  in  patience.  Make 
me  to  dwell  on  high,  and  ever  to  rejoice  in  God  my  Saviour. 
I  desire  guidance  and  blessing  this  day  as  to  the  places  I  visit, 
and  my  conduct  and  converse  there.  Lord,  hide  me  in  the 
secret  of  Thy  presence. 

''December  x^th. —  Wednesday  evening. — Many  blessings,  and 
slight  trials.     Sense  of  the  danger  of  losing  my  Lord.     Have 


MR.  MORGAN'S  DEATH.  257 

been  trying  to  seek  much  this  night  at  the  prayer-meeting.  I 
desire  to  seek  the  good  of  all  men.  Grant  me  the  charity 
which  flows  out  of  a  pure  heart  and  a  good  conscience.  Help 
me,  Lord,  to  rise  above  littie,  proud,  selfish  feelings,  and  to 
love  and  care  for  all,  and  that  for  Thy  blessed  sake. 

'  December  23*/. — Saturday  morning. — I  think  I  feel,  Lord, 
that  Thou  art  softening  my  heart,  and  revealing  to  me  more 
and  more  of  the  evil  of  sin.  I  think  I  see  more  the  need  of  a 
broken  heart,  and  a  soft,  tender,  watchful  walk.  Grant  that 
this  may  be  abiding  and  growing.  I  desire  to  make  use  of  the 
lessons  I  am  learning  from  Mr.  Morgan's — as  far  as  man  could 
judge — deadly  illness,  and  now  the  beginning  of  hope  and 
restoration.  Lord,  prepare  me  for  all  Thy  will.  Grant  me 
to  do  from  day  to  day,  with  my  might,  all  I  have  to  do.  I 
desire  to  put  away  all  partialities,  envies,  jealousies,  and  to 
love  all,  and  to  seek  their  whole  good,  earnestly,  continually, 
and  by  all  means.  Grant  me  grace  daily  to  walk  with  Thee, 
my  Lord ;  and  then,  when  all  else  fails,  this  fellowship  will 
remain,  and  brighten,  and  deepen. 

'  December  2\th. — Sabbath  morning. — My  friend  Mr.  Morgan 
died  suddenly  last  night.  He  sunk  all  at  once,  most  unex- 
pectedly. It  is  a  sore  disappointment,  and,  as  far  as  I  can 
judge,  an  almost  irreparable  loss,  for  he  seemed  just  the  man 
for  his  work.  Lord,  help !  I  have  been  a  good  deal  tried  during 
the  night ;  but  my  hope  is  in  Thee,  O  Lord.  Forgive  me,  and 
aid  me,  and  let  all  Thy  will  become  my  will. 

'  December  26th. — Tuesday  morning. — Busy  yesterday.  How 
easily  the  over-engrossed  heart  slides  away  from  the  Lord;  and 
yet  how  willingly  and  unresistingly  it  yields  to  the  temptation, 
and  even  rejoices,  and  prides  itself  upon  these,  too  often  self- 
sought  and  self-wrought,  activities !  Met  my  old  friend,  Mr. 
Anderson,  formerly  of  Banchory,  who  has  come  to  be  a  Profes- 
sor in  one  of  the  Government  colleges  in  the  N.W.  Provinces. 
Met  also  the  new  head  of  the  Martiniere,  at  Mr.  Woodrow's. 
Long  conversation  on  metaphysics.  Persuaded  that  all  these 
discussions  are  unprofitable  and  hurtful.  It  is  striving  to  ex- 
it 


258  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

plain  what  God  has  left  in  mystery,  and  to  set  aside  the  super- 
natural faith  which  God  gives  to  His  elect.  Lord,  I  bless  Thee 
for  Thy  word.  Help  me  to  learn  all  it  teaches,  believe  all  it 
announces,  obey  all  it  commands.' 

In  the  beginning  of  the  next  year  (1855)  he  gives  utter- 
ance to  both  hope  and  fear.  He  looks  the  obstacles  right 
in  the  face,  and  casts  himself  on  God.  He  mourns  over 
High  Church  sectarianism  ;  asks  for  the  breaking  down 
of  '  the  walls  of  partition  with  which  these  Judaizers  en- 
compass themselves  ;'  prays  for  times  of  unity  and  mutual 
appreciation,  and  to  be  kept,  meanwhile,  from  despon- 
dency and  from  bitterness.  He  takes  everything  to  God  ; 
he  looks  at  everything  in  the  light  of  the  divine  glory ;  he 
records  his  joys  and  sorrows  ;  and,  above  all,  his  confidence 
in  the  living  God,  both  for  himself  and  for  his  work.  He 
grieves  over  his  weaknesses  and  unfitnesses,  and  adds,  '  I 
feel  the  more  need  to  cultivate  close  fellowship  with  my 
Lord.'  There  is  the  prospect  of  his  beloved  wife  having  to 
leave  for  England  on  account  of  health ;  and  he  asks  for 
help  for  both  in  this  long  separation.  There  seem  clouds 
rising  over  the  land,  and  he  says,  '  We  may  be  on  the  verge 
of  great  events ;  guide  me  in  reference  to  public  affairs.' 
He  gets  down  very  deep  into  self-humiliation,  and  his  utter- 
ances are  like  those  of  David  Brainerd.  Yet  his  faith  fails 
not.  His  eye  is  always  on  the  cross ;  and  so  he  moves  on, 
feeling  the  conflict  within  and  the  opposition  without,  but 
not  succumbing.  He  looks  round,  he  calls  up  those  over 
whom  he  is  yearning,  and  adds,  '  Pity,  Lord,  those  I  think 
of  as  I  write,  and  give  a  time  of  salvation  ere  they  leave 
this  land  or  die.' 


TRUE  POWER.  259 


iJan.  \2th. — Thursday. — I  think  God  is  leading  me  more  into 
the  mystery  of  the  kingdom,  and  making  me  see  that  it  begins 
inwardly  and  works  out.  The  word  and  Spirit  in  the  soul 
makes  one  a  member  of  the  kingdom,  and  fits  for  service  in  it. 
Let  me  cease  from  putting  much  trust  in  outward  working  and 
management.  "  Ye  shall  receive  power  ; "  and  then  build.  But 
it  was  not  the  power  of  wealth,  or  mere  eloquence,  or  fashion, 
or  state  endowment,  or  organization,  or  machinery.  Lord, 
keep  my  eye  upon  the  rock  whence  Thy  Church  has  been  dug. 
Make  me  deaf,  and  blind,  and  dead  to  all  the  contempt,  and 
indifference,  and  carnal  neglect  with  which  Thy  cause  meets, 
and  enable  me  to  labour  on  in  hope,  without  bitterness.  Save 
me  from  vain  thoughts  and  sad  thoughts,  and  enable  me  to 
seek  and  proclaim  Thy  truth  in  growing  simplicity  and  power. 
I  feel  what  a  hindrance  the  bigotiy,  Popery,  Judaism,  and 
earthly  power  of  the  High  Church  Episcopalians  in  this  land 
present.1  I  shall  need  much  grace  to  bear  and  wait.  Arise, 
O  Lord,  and  bring  down  this  pride  and  dispel  this  darkness. 
.  .  .  Make  me  mindful  of  the  nature  of  Thy  kingdom  ;  that  it 
comes  not  with  observation ;  that  it  is  not  outward  organiza- 
tion ;  that  it  does  not  bulk  large  in  the  world's  eye,  but  is  the 
gathering  together  of  the  poor,  the  babes,  the  broken-hearted. 
Even  while  really  seeking  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  feeling 
that  nothing  short  of  this  can  benefit  them,  how  apt  am  I  to 
seek  mere  congregational  prosperity  !  Lord,  in  mercy  lift  me 
up  ;  bring  me  into  the  secret  of  Thy  presence ;  make  to  seek, 
find,  and  feed  on  truth.  .  .  .  Bless  the  daily  reading  of  the 
word,  and  all  the  events  of  life.  I  scarce  know  how  I  may  be 
conformed  to  Thee  in  heart ;  it  probably  must  be  by  means 

1  An  Episcopalian  clergyman,  not  High  Church,  called  on  him  one 
day,  and  said,  '  I  am  walking  in  your  footsteps,  and  going  into  all  the 
lanes  and  gullies ;  but  you  know  far  more  of  this  work  than  I  do,  and 
you  must  guide  and  help  me.'  Afterwards  Mr.  M.  wrote  to  him  en- 
couragingly, and  received  a  most  cordial  reply,  expressing  the  earnest 
hope  that  they  might  work  in  love  side  by  side. 


260  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

most  painful  and  distasteful  to  the  flesh ;  but  do  Thou  save 
me  in  whatever  way.  Show  me  Thy  cross,  and  teach  me  to 
glory  therein,  and  to  enter  into  all  the  sentiments  it  suggests 
and  the  motives  it  produces.  Let  me  be  a  crucified  man  ;  yet 
let  me  live  because  Thou  livest  in  me.' 

The  rest  of  this  month  is  filled  up  with  happy  entries. 
'  A  truly  good  and  peaceful  day.  .  .  .  Much  peace 
and  comfort  to-day.  .  .  .  Much  peace.'  February  is 
strewed  over  with  little  tranquil  notices.  His  peace  was 
like  a  river.1  March  comes ;  and  though  he  had  been 
sorely  tried  by  parting  with  his  beloved  wife  for  a  two 
years'  residence  in  England  for  her  health,  yet  his  records 
are  still  bright.  '  Life  has  been  passing  on  quietly  and 
smoothly ;  some  trials,  though  slight  and  brief,  and  many 
more  mercies.'  He  speaks,  too,  of  encouragement  in  his 
work,  but  mourns  that  he  has  been  '  too  little  with  God  ;' 
and  feels  a  '  dryness  and  distance  creeping  over  his  soul.' 

'  March  7.\th. — Saturday  morning. — I  think  the  Lord  is 
leading  me  to  live  a  good  deal  above  the  world  ;  not  to  think 
how  this  or  that  might  have  been  better  or  more  comfortable, 
but  to  get  away  from  it  altogether  and  seek  Himself.  .  .  . 
Once  or  twice  the  thought  has  tried  to  get  entrance,  what  life 
would  be  if  anything  were  to  befal  B.,  and  I  were  left  to  wander 
on  alone?  But  I  desire  to  resist  and  put  away  such  thoughts. 
Mrs.  Morgan  left  behind  at  Cairo,  dangerously  ill ;  Mrs.  For- 
dyce  sinking  ;  so  that,  if  I  begin  to  think,  I  see  I  should  give 
way,  and  therefore  I  desire  to  hope  continually.' 

The  most  of  April  passes  by  unnoticed,  till  he  comes  to 
his  birth-day,  and  then  he  resumes  : — 

1  These  are  memorable  words  :  '  I  see  clearly  that  I  can  only  be 
useful  in  this  land  by  striving  to  attain  and  introduce  a  higher  spiritu- 
ality both  in  life  and  work.' 


BIR  TH-DA  Y  THO  UGHTS.  26 1 

'  April  26th. —  Thursday. — My  birth-day.  How  many,  O 
Lord,  have  been  Thy  tender  mercies  !  Thou  hast  borne  with 
me  more  years  than  Thou  didst  with  Israel  in  the  wilderness. 
Thou  hast  led  me  about,  emptied  me  from  vessel  to  vessel, 
brought  me  into  acquaintance  and  tender  friendship  with  some 
of  the  best  and  dearest  saints  ;  and  Thou  hast  showed  me  not  a 
little  of  Thy  glorious  and  gracious  working  in  the  souls  of  men. 
Thou  hast  twice  united  me  in  the  tenderest  relation  to  women 
of  God,  the  beloved  of  the  Lord.  How  many  have  been  Thy 
mercies  !  I  desire  this  day  to  commend  to  Thy  loving  care 
my  dear  wife.  Guide,  and  keep,  and  bless,  and  sanctify,  and 
use  her ;  and  then  unite  us  again,  that  together  we  may  try 
to  serve  and  honour  Thee.  I  commend  to  Thee  all  my  rela- 
tions scattered  up  and  down  the  earth.  Let  them  be  precious 
in  Thy  sight.  .  .  .  My  dear  wife  is  far  away.  Bear  me  up  in 
her  absence.  I  stand  much  alone  in  this  place  and  land  ;  for 
I  find  none  like-minded  to  whom  I  can  pour  out  my  heart. 
All  seem  to  seek  their  own,  or  to  be  tied  up  in  their  own  little 
circles.  .  .  .  Let  me  have  growing  trust  in  Thy  love  and  care. 
I  desire  never  to  rest  even  on  a  work  of  real  grace  within  ;  but 
to  know  that  it  was  advancing,  might  encourage  and  give  me 
confidence.' 

In  his  July  entries  he  speaks  of  clouds,  and  depressions, 
and  languors  ;  yet  he  also  speaks  of  '  some  glancings  into 
his  heart  of  the  joy  of  life,  as  an  opporticnity  of  living  with 
and  to  God.1  His  home -letters  comfort  him  in  some 
respects ;  but  he  is  cast  down  at  the  intelligence  that  his 
beloved  wife  will  not  be  able  to  rejoin  him  till  the  end  of 
next  year.  '  The  long  array  of  weary  months  stretching 
out  in  prospective,  almost  sinks  his  heart.'  Yet  he  does 
not  give  way ;  and  this  petition  is  still  uppermost :  '  Lord, 
give  me  to  see  Thy  work  3'  and  this  also  :  '  Enable  me  to 
go  on  calmly  and  holily.' 


262  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

He  meets  with  Dr.  Anderson  from  America,  and  more 
than  once  gets  refreshment  from  conversation  with  him. 
'  He  has  been  brought  to  see  that  it  is  only  an  election 
that  will  be  gathered  in  ;  and  therefore  we  should  go  on 
hopefully  and  yet  self-deniedly,  having  no  will  of  our  own, 
but  watching  and  waiting  to  see  what  is  the  will  of  the 
Lord.'  He  works  heartily  at  our  institutions,  and  takes 
pleasure  in  missionary  conferences ;  yet  longs  for  higher 
things  than  he  sees.  '  Secular  education  has  too  much 
taken  the  place  of  preaching  Christ.'  He  feels  '  burdened.' 
The  converts  are  too  dependent  on  us  for  support,  and 
are  not  men  of  zeal  and  energy.  He  would  like  to  try 
the  apostolic  procedure,  and  go  to  the  old  as  much  as  to 
the  young.  He  is  afraid  of  a  compromise  with  unbelief, 
and  would  like  to  see  more  simple  trust  in  Jehovah  and 
in  His  gospel  as  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

His  entry  on  the  14th  of  August  (1855)  notices  his 
watching  the  deathbed  of  Mrs.  Milne's  father;  and  on 
Sabbath,  the  19th,  he  writes  : — 

'  Papa  has  gone  from  us.  He  sunk  softly  and  peacefully, 
and  on  Friday  morning  died  without  even  a  sigh.  I  have 
every  hope  that  it  is  well  with  him  now.  Grant  us,  Lord,  the 
use  of  what  we  have  been  passing  through,  and  be  our  support 
and  portion  in  what  is  before  us.  Prepare  my  own  B.  for 
what  will  be  to  her  such  sad  tidings.  The  funeral  quiet  and 
solemn  last  night.  Bless  me  and  aunt,  and  guide  us  in  all  our 
arrangements,  and  bring  B.  in  due  time  again  to  us.  I  desire 
to  live  in  Thee.  It  has  been  a  dreary,  sleepless  night,  and  I 
feel  feeble ;  but,  Lord,  do  Thou  use  me,  and  all  will  be  well.' 

On  the  8th  of  November  1855,  he  writes  to  Mrs. 
Sandeman  : — 


THOUGHTS  OF  OLD  TIMES  IN  PERTH.  263 

'My  very  dear  Mrs.  Sandeman, — I  have  been  far  too 
long  in  acknowledging  your  very  touching  letter,  and  in  thank- 
ing you  for  all  your  kindness  to  my  dear  wife,  whose  heart 
seems  much  drawn  to  you.  Perhaps  you  may  be  able  to  write 
her  a  few  words,  now  that  she  is  in  sorrow  herself  from  the  loss 
of  her  dear  father.  He  died  in  much  peace,  full  of  days  and 
of  general  esteem.  I  was  deeply  affected  by  all  your  details 
of  the  last  hours  and  experience  of  Alexander  and  Hugh.  I 
call  that  letter  your  "  way  home."  And  now  last  mail  brought 
me  Mrs.  Barbour's  "  way  home."  Strange,  indeed,  have  been 
the  Lord's  dealings  with  you  ;  but  He  knows  what  is  best,  and 
I  am  sure  you  trust  Him,  and  think  well  of  Him  still.  I 
remember  quite  freshly  the  first  call  I  ever  made  at  Spring- 
land.  It  seems  like  yesterday  ;  and  at  this  moment  I  can 
recall  every  object  and  every  feeling.  How  much  has  passed 
since  then  !  But  we  are  going  on.  We  cannot  and  would  not 
turn  back.  You  must  now  seek  grace  for  Charles  and  Frank. 
It  is  a  great  thing  to  have  children  and  children's  children  in 
heaven.  I  hear  most  gratifying  accounts  of  David  and  Frede- 
rick as  preachers.  May  the  Lord  greatly  use  them  !  It  will 
be  a  trial  parting  with  David ;  but  he  goes  to  a  great  work, 
and  he  is  the  only  one  I  know  fitted  to  be  a  coadjutor  to 
William  Burns.  I  met  the  Bishop  of  Victoria  here  lately, 
who  knew  Mr.  B.,  and  spoke  of  him  with  great  admiration.' 

His  diary  then  proceeds  for  some  days  much  in  the 
same  strain  as  before  ;  a  record  of  peace  and  help,  and  con- 
flict and  work,  interspersed  with  thoughts  on  Scripture  : — 

1  August  7.\th. — Friday  morning.  —  Let  me  follow  out  the 
thought  of  being  dead  with  Christ.  What  manner  of  person 
should  I  be  ?  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  things  below  in  the 
way  of  being  anxious  about  them,  or  vexed,  or  over-glad. 
What  does  a  dead  man  care  for  these  things  ?  Though  a  man 
buffet  him  on  the  cheek,  trample  on  him,  what  does  he  mind  ? 
Alive  with  Christ !  Let  me  live  where  He  is,  and  have  heart 
and  mind  there.     Yet  He  looks  down  on  men,  and  dwells 


264  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

among  them  to  pity  and  save.  So  let  me  be  in  the  world,  but 
not  of  the  world.  Here  for  the  good  of  others,  to  do  my 
Father's  will ;  but  not  for  any  expectation  of  good.' 

He  refers  to  his  lonely  circumstances ; — wife  and  rela- 
tives dead  or  far  away ;  yet  he  goes  on,  acquiescent  in  the 
heavenly  will ;  accepting  his  position  here ;  looking  up- 
wards, and  willing  even  to  fail,  if  such  be  the  purpose  of 
God.  '  Only  let  me  love  and  enjoy  Thee,  and  let  all  else 
go.'  Yet  he  feels  he  is  of  '  some  use '  here ;  '  learning 
what  he  could  not  have  done  amid  the  privileges  and 
prosperity  of  home.'  He  is  ever  recording  petitions  in 
behalf  of  his  dear  wife,  and  longing  for  her  return ;  yet 
working  on  contentedly ;  '  life  passing  on  quietly,  without 
much  trial,'  and  with  '  Jehovah  alone  his  salvation  f  de- 
siring '  to  please  Him  in  all  things ;'  '  ashamed  of  his  un- 
believing fears ;'  '  becoming  more  and  more  alive  to  the 
difficulties  of  a  holy  life.'     Thus  he  sings  : — 

'  Revive,  O  Lord,  this  sluggish  soul, 

And  give  me  back  salvation's  joy ; 
Let  grace  my  sinful  lusts  control, 

And  send  me  forth  in  Thy  employ. 
My  hands  hang  down,  my  feet  are  slow, 

My  lips  are  dumb,  my  heart  is  cold ; 
Let  Thy  free  Spirit  on  me  blow, 

Let  fresh  forgiveness  make  me  bold. 

See,  Lord,  these  fields  are  ripening  fast, 

And  sin  and  death  their  sickles  ply : 
Oh  send  me  forth  the  net  to  cast ; 

Oh  stir  up  men  from  wrath  to  fly ! 
I  know  that  poor  and  weak  I  am, 

A  very  babe,  with  stammering  tongue  ; 
Be  Thou  my  helper,  gracious  Lamb, 
•  And  in  Thy  strength  let  me  be  strong.* 


HYMNS.  265 


I  may  notice,  that  the  pieces  quoted  here  and  else- 
where are  interspersed  throughout  his  Indian  diary ;  as  if 
his  soul,  in  that  land  of  strangers,  loved  to  pour  itself  out 
in  these  strains.  He  seems  to  have  written  them  with 
great  ease  and  rapidity,  walking  to  and  fro  on  the  verandah, 
I  believe ;  yet  they  are  singularly  correct  in  rhythm ;  some 
of  them  very  beautiful.     Here  is  another  : — 

'  Give  me,  O  Lord,  Thy  changeless  peace, 
And  calm,  I  pray,  this  troubled  mind  ; 
That  I  from  bitterness  may  cease, 
And  'mid  unkindness,  still  be  kind. 

Thy  sun  his  ceaseless  course  pursues, 

And  shines  alike  on  good  and  ill ; 
May  I,  like  him,  to  stop  refuse, 

When  thankless  souls  my  spirit  chill. 

Give  me  the  strong,  untiring  love, 

Which  hopes,  endures,  and  never  fails ; 

But,  daily  strengthened  from  above, 
At  length  o'er  all  who  hate  prevails.' 

Contrasting  the  obedience  of  creation  to  its  Creator's 
laws,  with  the  disorder  and  conflict  of  his  own  inner  man, 
he  thus  writes  : — 

'  My  God,  the  kingdom's  Thine  ;  all  things  should  Thee  obey  ; 

But  this  rebellious  will  of  mine  resists  Thy  gracious  sway. 
The  sun  fails  not  to  shine,  the  moon  holds  on  her  way; 

But  this  rebellious  heart  of  mine  resists  Thy  gracious  sway. 
The  seasons  know  Thy  sign,  and  come  without  delay; 

But  this  rebellious  heart  of  mine  resists  Thy  gracious  sway. 
The  winds  and  waves  combine  to  do  what  Thou  wilt  say ; 

But  this  rebellious  heart  of  mine  resists  Thy  gracious  sway. 
Thy  word  comes  line  on  line,  Thy  mercies  day  by  day ; 

But  this  rebellious  heart  of  mine  resists  Thy  gracious  sway. 
In  weariness  I  pine,  for  succour  oft  I  pray  ; 

Yet  this  rebellious  will  of  mine  resists  Thy  gracious  sway. 


266  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Work  in  me  what  is  Thine,  and  teach  me  to  obey ; 

Then  this  renewed  will  of  mine  will  love  Thy  gracious  sway.' 

I  add  another  here,  in  another  strain.  A  few  more  will 
be  cited  farther  on.  But  the  pieces  are  too  numerous,  and 
some  of  them  too  long,  to  find  a  place  in  this  memoir : — 

'  Open  my  blinded  eyes,  and  make  me  clearly  see 
The  loveliness  that  hidden  lies,  O  Lamb  of  God,  in  Thee. 
Let  Thy  mild  beauties  win  the  mastery  of  my  soul, 
And  turn  my  carnal  heart  from  sin,  and  all  its  thoughts  control. 
The  fathers  from  afar  beheld  Thy  day  of  old, 

They  saw  Thee,  bright  and  morning  Star,  Thy  distant  rays  unfold. 
And  as  they  marked  .Thy  rise,  and  felt  Thy  healing  beams, 
Their  hearts,  o'erwhelmed  with  glad  surprise,  forgot  all  meaner 

themes. 
All  things  seemed  full  of  Thee,  God's  fair  and  lowly  flower  ! 
They  saw  Thee  growing  in  the  tree,  and  dropping  in  the  shower. 
And  oft  they  wondered  how,  and  asked  the  question  when, 
The  Lord  on  high  His  heavens  would  bow,  and  dwell  with  sinful  men  ? 
Why,  then,  am  I  so  slow,  more  favoured  far  than  they, 
My  great  Incarnate  Lord  to  know,  and  follow  in  His  way  ? 
Awake,  my  soul,  from  sleep,  betake  thyself  to  prayer, 
And  search  and  learn  the  mysteries  deep  that  save  from  endless  care.' 

Intermingled  with  these  artless,  yet  not  commonplace 
effusions,  the  journal  goes  on  : — '  A  comfortable  day  in 
church  and  Sabbath  school.'  'Another  peaceful  day.' 
'  A  good  day  this  has  been  ;  quiet  and  peaceful ;  yet  I 
have  felt  the  old  enemy  within,  and  the  old  enemy  with- 
out.' He  asks  '  guidance  and  self-command.'  He  goes 
to  various  places,  '  meeting  with  much  kindness,  and  find- 
ing opportunities  of  doing  good.'  '  Helped,  and  happy.' 
He  wants  to  '  love  the  low  estate,  and  to  lose  his  life  that 
he  may  find  it  unto  life  eternal.'  '  A  pleasant  and  en- 
couraging day  j'  but  he  must  '  watch  lest  he  lose  all.'     '  A 


CHANGES  WITHIN  AND  WITHOUT;  BENARES.    267 

pleasant  peaceful  day;  fellowship  with  God;  one  or  two 
trials  to  humble.'  'A  busy  and  encouraging  day.'  He 
asks  more  '  simplicity  of  nature,  and  habitual,  entire  lean- 
ing on  the  Lord.'  '  Dr.  Duff  in  the  morning  [preaching] ; 
full  of  truth  and  power.'  '  An  unsatisfactory  day ;  hurried, 
and  needing  special  mercy.'  '  Feeble,  and  no  strength 
in  myself,  yet  a  very  pleasant  and  comfortable  day.' 
'Home  letters,  full  of  mercy.'  'Bless  my  own  B.'  'A 
busy  working  day,  yet  peaceful.'  '  Much  driven  about, 
distracted,  and  worn  out  and  tried;  I  cast  myself  on  Thee.' 
'  A  pleasant,  happy  day ;  help,  and  power.'  '  Make  me 
holy  to  Thyself.'  '  Poor  and  sinful.'  '  A  busy,  but  quiet 
day.'  '  I  seek  grace  this  day  to  live  in  and  on  Christ.' 
'  Rainy  at  night,  and  prayer-meeting  thin ;  home  letters 
full  of  mercy.'  'A  very  toilsome  day;  wandering  from 
place  to  place.'  '  Upon  the  whole,  a  peaceful  day ;  a 
little  tired  at  night ;  but  if  self  were  given  up,  I  should  not 
have  felt  it.'  '  Some  searchings  and  humblings  of  heart, 
and  some  longings  for  the  Lord.'  '  Not  much  done,  yet 
kindness  from  the  Lord.'  '  Poor  and  needy,  unable  to  lift 
myself  up  ;  yet  a  good  day.'  '  Barrackpore  :  a  good  day.' 
'  Tried  and  failed;  help.'  '  I  long  to  love  Thee,  Lord.  A 
good  day;  helped  to  walk  softly.'  '  Seeking  a  fixed  heart; 
feeble  all  day,  but  kept.'  'A  good  day;  tried,  but  en- 
abled to  take  it  as  part  of  the  crucifixion.'  'August  10th. 
— Communion.  Dr.  Duff  served  the  table.  He  seemed 
helped,  and  I  feel  refreshed.' 

Towards  the  end  of  August  he  went  to  Benares  for 
change  and  rest,  as  his  health  was  failing  ;  and  there  is  a 
record  of  his  journey,  his  work,  the  places  he  saw,  and 


268  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

missionaries  he  had  intercourse  with.  He  speaks  strongly 
of  the  evil  done  by  the  Government  schools,  in  'raising  up 
a  race  of  atheists,  who  have  no  fear  nor  principle.'  On 
the  19th  September  he  records  his  return  :  '  On  my  way 
home.  I  have  spent  a  very  happy  time  at  Benares,  and 
feel  thankful  for  all  the  fellowship  I  have  had  with  Mr. 
Tucker  and  his  family.'  He  had  spent  six  weeks  there, 
and  returned  to  Calcutta  quite  invigorated.  '  September 
26th. — Letters  from  home  last  night.  One  from  Mrs. 
Stuart  from  Paris.  Eliza  is  going  home  to  die.  Help 
me,  O  Lord,  to  bear  her  on  my  heart.  29//*. — Eliza 
Stuart  in  London,  on  her  way  home  to  die.  Lord,  be 
with  her  in  giving  light  and  peace.' 

During  the  following  months  there  is  a  great  amount  of 
remarks  on  various  topics,  chiefly  on  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture, both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  ;  the  notices 
regarding  himself  being  fewer.  Occasionally,  however, 
we  have,  'A  very  happy  day;  I  enjoyed  my  work,  and  de- 
sire to  thank  the  Lord  for  all  His  goodness.'  '  A  quiet 
day,  though  weary;  mercies  and  loving-kindnesses.  I 
need  constant  keeping,  guidance,  and  also  constant  watch- 
ing, and  an  unceasing  intercession.'  '  I  long  to  be  rivers 
of  water;  to  have  that  fulness  of  Christ  and  heavenly 
things  that  will  not  be  restrained,  but  will  urge  and  make 
way  for  itself.'  '  I  feel  the  blessedness  of  waiting  on  the 
Lord,  and  not  fretting  because  things  seem  not  to  be 
going  right.'  '  I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  slipping  away 
from  the  Lord,  and  suffering  many  things  to  come  be- 
tween Him  and  me.'  '  Dec.  $ist. — My  dear  wife  and  her 
aunt  arrived  in  safety ;  many  mercies.' 


THE  MUTINY.  269 


After  this  comes  a  blank,  or,  rather,  many  blanks,  for 
the  entries  are  fewer  i1 — 

'  May  27th. — We  are  in  the  midst  of  defection  and  revolt. 
Every  mail  brings  tidings  of  regiments  casting  off  their  allegi- 
ance. Delhi  is  in  the  possession  of  the  mutineers;  much 
bloodshed,  and  many  barbarities  committed.  It  is  a  crisis  in 
Indian  history ;  but  I  trust  we  shall  be  brought  through  it.  I 
think  I  am  learning  something  from  the  state  of  the  times. 
Oh  to  live  in  nearness  and  growing  oneness  with  the  Lord!' 

In  May  1857,  about  the  time  of  the  beginning  of  the 
mutiny,  he  and  Mrs.  Milne  went  to  visit  some  friends  a 
little  way  out  of  Calcutta,  near  a  gun  manufactory.  Other 
guests  were  in  the  house  as  well  as  themselves.     In  the 

1  Here  is  an  extract  from  a  note  to  David  Sandeman,  that  noble  and 
honoured  servant  of  Christ,  who,  after  a  few  years  of  labour  in  China, 
passed  to  his  reward.  His  name  is  strongly  linked  with  that  of  John 
Milne  and  William  Burns.  It  is  a  note  introducing  some  friends, 
and  asking  Mr.  Sandeman  to  '  encourage  them  in  seeking  the  Lord  :' — 
'  I  had  a  long  letter  from  your  dear  mother,  telling  me  the  particulars 
of  your  last  visit  to  Perth  ;  also  from  Mr.  Ogilvie.  I  wish  you  could 
have  come  round  this  way ;  but  the  Lord  otherwise  ordered  it.  But 
we  must  try  to  keep  up  some  interchange  of  brotherly  affection  by 
letter.  How  much  of  this  mutual  interest  in  one  another  there  seems 
to  have  been  among  the  early  Christians !  Paul  seems  so  anxious  that 
his  friends  at  a  distance  should  know  all  his  concerns,  and  that  he 
should  know  all  that  was  befalling  them.  I  think  there  is  reason  for 
this.  We  cannot  think  of  one  another,  nor  pray  for  one  another 
aright,  unless  we  know  one  another's  condition.  Don't  you  think 
these  intercommunications  are  like  the  gales  of  the  Spirit  that  keep 
the  atmosphere,  or  like  the  tides  which  keep  the  seas,  from  stagnation  ? 
Without  occasional  hearing  from  one  another,  our  love  will  languish 
and  decay.  I  trust  the  Lord  is  upholding  and  comforting  you,  and 
giving  you  earnests  of  a  large  and  abundant  harvest.' — Calcutta,  igt/i 
Jan.  1S57. 


270  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


course  of  the  evening  a  message  came  from  the  officer  in 
charge  of  the  manufactory,  to  say  there  were  so  many 
rumours  of  risings  among  the  native  troops  in  the  neigh- 
bouring stations,  and  he  could  put  so  little  confidence  in 
the  sentries  posted  round  his  own  house,  that  he  intended 
to  send  his  own  wife  and  child  on  board  a  steamer  in  the 
river  for  the  night ;  and  he  thought  any  ladies  or  civilians 
in  the  house  in  which  they  were  should  go  on  board  also. 
Some  of  the  party  present  laughed  at  the  idea  of  danger; 
but  Mr.  Milne  was  very  decided  that  such  a  message 
should  not  be  neglected,  and  insisted  that  they  should 
go  at  once  to  the  officer's  house,  and  embark  with  his 
family.  Accordingly,  they  did  go  to  his  house  ;  and  when 
parties  from  other  quarters  had  all  gathered  there,  they 
got  into  boats  to  go  to  the  steamer.  Most  of  the  gentle- 
men went  with  them  ;  and  when  all  the  ladies  had  got  on 
board,  they  did  so  too,  Mr.  Milne  amongst  them.  They 
remained  there  all  night ;  but  as  soon  as  Mr.  Milne  had 
seen  his  wife  into  the  cabin,  and  in  safety,  he  put  his  Bible 
into  her  hand,  and  said,  Good-bye ;  and  in  one  moment 
was  over  the  side  of  the  steamer,  in  the  boat,  and  off  to 
the  shore  again.  When  he  got  back  to  the  commandant's 
house,  the  officer  said,  'What's  the  matter?  Why  have 
you  come  back  ?  '  '  Oh  ! '  said  he,  '  wherever  there  is 
danger,  there  the  minister  of  Christ  should  be.'  And 
there  he  remained  till  dawn,  when  danger  for  that  night 
was  past. 

'  May  29th. — This  day  four  years  I  had  just  landed  in  Cal- 
cutta, and  gone  to  church.  How  much  have  I  gone  through 
since  then  !  .  .  .    May  31st. — Sabbath  afternoon. — This  Sab- 


GLOOM  AND  TERROR.  271 

bath  four  years  was  the  beginning  of  my  sojourn  and  ministry 
in  this  place.  June  nth. — Every  mail  brings  tidings  of  fresh 
mutinies  and  violence  and  murder.  All  is  dark,  with  very 
little  to  cheer  in  passing  events.  Here  and  there  courage  and 
promptitude  and  ability  have  appeared ;  but,  generally,  there  has 
been  great  want  of  foresight  and  energy.  European  troops  are 
arriving,  and  proceeding  in  small  bands  up  the  country.  Had 
there  been  combination  and  united  action  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy,  we  must  have  been  overwhelmed  in  all  directions.  But 
the  power  that  has  been  able  to  raise  this  flame  has  not  been 
able  to  actuate  and  direct  it.  Hence  the  outbreaks,  though 
fierce  and  disastrous,  have  been  local  and  successive,  and  have 
been,  in  leading  places,  resisted  and  put  down.  Delhi,  their 
headquarters,  must  soon  be  reached,  and  then  there  will  be  an 
aggressive  movement  all  over  the  countries.  I  have  letters 
from  many  places,  speaking  of  the  dangers  and  sufferings  which 
are  endured  almost  over  all  the  land.  Here  we  have  only  an 
occasional  alarm.  Leadenhall  Street,  with  its  narrow,  selfish 
policy,  its  time-serving,  and  truckling  to  error  and  idolatry,  will 
now,  I  trust,  be  superseded,  and  a  larger  and  more  liberal 
system  introduced.  I  feel  my  heart  drawn  out  in  pity  for  the 
many  sufferers  ;  a  longing  that  our  rulers  may  be  decided  and 
energetic  ;  and  a  hope  that  many  may  be  led  to  decision,  and 
true  faith  in  the  Lord. 

'  June  1 2th. — Still  gloomy  tidings  from  up-country.  The  con- 
spiracy seems  to  have  been  universal,  and  must  have  succeeded 
had  it  not  broken  out  prematurely.  We  wait  for  news  from 
Delhi,  which,  as  it  is  the  heart,  so  it  may  have  been  the  source 
of  the  evil.  Precautions  are  taken  here,  for  we  have  a  consi- 
derable Mohammedan  population.  Not  too  soon.  But  the 
dream  of  peace  and  safety,  which  has  brought  sorrow  on  so 
much  of  India,  may  also  bring  ruin  on  the  capital  itself.  I 
feel  quietness  of  spirit,  looking  to  the  Lord.  There  is  not 
much  to  care  for  here. 

'  June  15th. — The  tidings  from  up-country  still  gloomy  ;  but 
European  troops  are  fast  flowing  in,  and  arrangements  are 


272  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

made  for  the  protection  of  the  town.  .  .  .  June  i/^th. — Just  as 
I  was  going  into  the  pulpit,  a  letter  was  brought  from  a  mis- 
sionary, saying,  on  most  reliable  authority,  that  two  native 
regiments,  43d  and  70th,  had  broken  loose  from  Barrackpore, 
and  were  approaching  the  town,  strongly  urging  and  entreat- 
ing that  there  should  be  no  morning  service.  He  and  others 
had  fled  on  shipboard.  I  knew  last  night  that  these  regiments 
were  ready  for  revolt,  and  thought  it  probable  that  the  report 
might  be  true.  I  felt  the  responsibility  of  keeping  the  people 
together  in  such  circumstances,  especially  in  a  Mohammedan 
district  like  that  in  which  our  church  stands.  However,  I 
determined  to  go  on,  and  we  were  carried  through  in  peace ; 
though  I  felt  anxious,  knowing  what  would  be  the  consequence 
of  any  panic  in  the  church,  even  though  there  were  no  real 
danger.  We  seem,  however,  to  be  on  the  eve  of  an  emeute; 
but  the  authorities  are  aware  and  prepared.' 

Such  is  his  own  brief  reference  to  a  proceeding  on 
which  it  is  not  easy  for  us  at  a  distance  to  form  any 
opinion.  Many  will  pronounce  it  imprudent;  and  most 
ministers  in  such  circumstances  would  have  yielded  to 
the  threatening  danger,  and  not  proceeded  to  church,  nor 
allowed  the  congregation  to  assemble.  The  simple  ex- 
planation of  his  '  imprudence,'  as  some  may  call  it,  is  to 
be  found  in  his  own  natural  fearlessness,  which  made  him 
quite  unable  to  comprehend  danger  to  himself.  We  may 
give  a  slightly  fuller  account  of  the  matter,  which  will 
confirm  our  view  of  his  character. 

On  the  Sabbath  that  the  troops  at  Barrackpore  were 
disarmed,  and  when  it  was  feared  they  might  rise  and 
come  down  on  Calcutta,  when  he  went  into  the  vestry, 
two  gentlemen  begged  him  to  have  no  service  on  account 
of  the  danger  of  attack,  and  one  showed  him  a  letter  he 


ALARMS  IN  CALCUTTA.  273 

had  had  from  a  missionary  who  had  taken  refuge  on 
board  ship.  But  he  said,  '  No,  it  was  duty ;  only  he 
would  be  brief.'  In  the  closing  prayer,  he  thanked  God 
there  had  been  no  interruption  to  the  service.  Then, 
having  taken  his  wife  home,  he  went  to  visit  a  sick  friend, 
and  on  the  table  he  found  a  revolver !  In  the  evening, 
when  he  and  his  wife  were  again  going  to  church,  a  friend 
called  to  say  that  the  troops  had  been  quietly  disarmed, 
and  all  danger  was,  for  the  time,  over.  That  evening 
there  were  just  five-and-twenty  in  church. 

'  Jime  20th. — European  troops  arriving.  The  inhabitants  are 
embodied  to  defend  the  town.  Still,  there  is  a  possibility  that 
the  Mohammedans,  in  blind  rage,  may  make  some  outbreak. 

'  "June  22d. — Yesterday  I  found  a  good  day,  being  helped. 
To-day  I  have  been  at  the  Institution,  and  afterwards  visiting. 
Many  seem  disturbed  and  alarmed.  Some  I  find  trusting 
simply  in  the  Lord,  and  believing  that  He  will  protect  them. 
There  seems  a  rather  general  fancy  that  some  outbreak  will 
take  place  to-morrow,  as  it  is  the  anniversaiy  of  the  battle 
of  Plassey  and  the  festival  of  Juggernaut,  when  there  will  be 
crowds  in  the  streets.  The  panic-fear  of  so  many  must  en- 
courage the  enemy,  and  lead  them  to  suppose  that  they  are 
stronger,  and  we  more  defenceless  than  we  are.  The  tidings 
from  up-country  are  still  disastrous, — death,  and  violence, 
and  fresh  outbreaks.  The  missionaries  are  fleeing.  We  are 
not  judges  for  one  another,  but  I  feel  inclined  to  ask,  Where 
is  your  faith  ?  Such  has  been  the  faithlessness,  deceit,  and 
brutality  of  these  wretched  and  bloody  men,  that  it  is  difficult 
to  avoid  feeling  a  sinful  indignation,  and  longing  for  severest 
retribution.  Yet  what  they  have  done  is  the  natural  fruit  of 
their  perverse  and  dark  religion.  What  have  we  done  to  turn 
them  from  their  errors  ? 

'  June  2\th. — Yesterday  passed  quietly  here,  but  we  have 
still  sad  tidings  from  up-country.     Flight  and  death.     There 

S 


274  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

are  many  fears  lest  Lucknow  and  Cawnpore,  with  their  brave 
defenders,  should  be  overwhelmed  by  numbers  and  famine  ere 
help  reach  them.  No  tidings  of  the  fall  of  Delhi.  To-day  I 
have  felt  far  from  the  Lord.  I  seek  His  face,  and  I  know  that 
He  will  look  upon  me.  But  it  is  trying  to  remain  thus,  and 
the  flesh  takes  advantage.  I  feel  what  need  I  have  to  watch. 
As  proof  after  proof  occurs  of  the  infatuation  and  obstinacy  of 
the  home  governors  of  this  country,  their  neglect  of  the  most 
ordinary  precautions,  and  closing  their  ears  against  the  most 
pointed  and  reiterated  warnings,  it  is  difficult  to  restrain  a  feel- 
ing of  indignation.  What  suffering  and  misery  they  have  occa- 
sioned by  their  obstinate  adherence  to  a  narrow,  selfish,  worn- 
out  policy  !  Their  cords  were  rotten,  and  yet  they  stretch  them 
and  strain  them,  till  now  all  have  gone  at  once,  and  rebellion 
reaches  over  all  the  land,  and,  like  the  plagues  of  Egypt,  enters 
every  house. 

'  June  2,0th. — The  Lord  has  been  dealing  graciously.  Oh 
that  I  would  but  walk  more  closely  with  Him  !  I  wait  on 
God.  No  sure  tidings  yet  from  Delhi.  Fresh  atrocities  and 
murders.  We  are  brought  very  low.  .  .  .  July  2>th. — There 
is  no  safety  nor  peace  but  in  a  close  walk  with  God.  Cawn- 
pore fallen,  and  all  destroyed.  Gwalior  in  mutiny.  God's 
hand  is  stretched  out  still.  There  are  the  destitute,  the  fugi- 
tive, the  mourning,  the  dying.  .  .  .  Public  affairs  still  dark, 
and  as  yet  no  gleam  of  returning  light.  Want  of  troops,  want 
of  communication,  want  of  energy,  want  of  combination,  seem 
to  show  that  the  Lord  is  hiding  His  face  and  holding  back  His 
hand.  My  own  future  I  do  not  know ;  but  a  day  in  Thy  courts 
is  better  than  a  thousand.  The  opening  up  of  one  of  Thy 
faithful  words  enriches,  and  strengthens,  and  feeds  me. 

'  July  17th. — Much  has  passed  since  I  last  wrote.  In  public 
the  massacre  of  Cawnpore,  the  death  of  Sir  H.  Lawrence,1  the 


1  Some  short  time  before,  when  our  guns  were  being  pointed  against 
the  enemy,  Sir  Henry  called  out,  '  Spare  the  holy  places.'  It  was  a 
shot  from  one  of  these  '  holy  places '  that  killed  him. 


CALM  IN  TR  0  UBL  0  US  DA  YS.  275 

beleaguerment  of  Agra,  delay  at  Delhi,  etc.  Give  us  peace  in 
this  troubled  land.  Save  this  town  from  the  danger  with  which 
it  is  threatened.  It  is  but  too  evident  on  every  hand  that  the 
Lord  no  longer  puts  the  fear  of  us  on  these  people.  We  have 
taken  credit  to  ourselves  for  their  submission  hitherto,  and  now 
we  find  them  insolent  and  insubordinate.  Lord,  help  me  to 
eye  Thee  in  all  things,  and  to  humble  myself  under  Thy  mighty 
hand  ! 

' Aug.  \ih. — Tuesday. — Sabbath  was  one  of  the  days  of  the 
Buchra-Eed}  and  a  Mohammedan  rising  was  anticipated. 
We  had  a  body  of  troops  and  cannon  at  the  church,  and  the 
rest  of  the  town  was  fully  guarded.  I  enjoyed  the  day.  Yes- 
terday, wearied  and  sad.  To-day,  quiet  and  helped.  Still 
things  all  over  the  country  look  dark  and  menacing.  .  .  . 
wth.  —  A  trying,  humbling  day.  I  am  getting  too  much 
engrossed  with  public  affairs.  I  feel  that  my  only  safety  in 
reference  to  them  is  to  see  God's  hand  in  all,  even  the  strange 
supineness  and  infatuation  of  those  who  are  set  over  us.  They 
are  what  they  are,  and  do  what  they  do,  or  rather  do  nothing, 
or  at  least  not  at  the  right  time,  just  because  God  is  against 
us,  and  withholds  good  things  from  us.  I  desire  grace  to  look 
more  to  the  Lord.  .  .  .  13th. — English  mail  come  in.  Prepare 
me  for  tidings,  and  let  not  the  old  man  again  get  the  reins 
in  his  mouth  through  worldly  excitement.  .  .  .  20th. — After  a 
fortnight's  interruption,  we  have  heard  from  up-country.  Things 
seem  improving  a  little.  I  trust  the  tide  is  beginning  to  turn, 
and  that  the  Lord  will  work  deliverance.  Delhi  still  besieged, 
if  siege  it  can  be  called,  when  the  enemy  is  always  the  attacking 
party.  The  fort  of  Agra  still  held,  and  likely  to  make  good  its 
resistance.  Lucknow  still  defended,  though  in  danger.  Have- 
lock  unable  to  raise  the  siege,  and  returned  to  Cawnpore. 
Some  progress  made  in  driving  the  rebels  out  of  Behar.  2^th. 
— Monday. — Yesterday  was  a  good  day  ;  almost  unmingledly 
so.     I  was  helped,  and  the  word  remains  with  me.     The  town 

1  A  Mohammedan  festival — '  the  goat's  feast.' 


276  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

is  all  guarded,  for  it  is  the  Mohurrum  ;  and  yesterday  a  body 
of  troops  was  in  the  Madrissa  (college)  opposite  the  church.1 
2,oth. — Sabbath. — Quiet  and  peaceful.  The  home  letters  have 
come ;  but  they  lie  unopened,  that  we  may  not  break  God's 
day,  or  distract  our  minds.  1st  Sept. — We  have  been  carried 
safely  through  the  Mohurrum  ;  but  we  have  gloomy  news  from 
up-country.  There  seems  little  hope  that  Lucknow  can  stand 
till  it  is  relieved,  and  so  the  sad  scenes  at  Cawnpore  will  be 
renewed.     I  feel  sad  and  sick  at  heart.' 

'  September  26th. — Sabbath  morning. — Many  variations  of 
state  and  feeling.  Lord,  help  me  !  Make  me  willing  to  follow 
Thee  in  the  way  of  the  cross.  I  am  not  wise,  nor  strong ;  but 
may  seek  to  walk  in  Thy  meekness,  patience,  gentleness.  It 
was  specially  in  suffering  that  Thou  didst  accomplish  Thy 
mission.  May  I  not  despise  the  passive  graces.  Are  they  not 
the  ripened  fruit  ?  What  dominion  self  has  over  me  !  At 
every  new  emergency  I  pray,  and  desire  to  strive  that  my 
thought  may  not  be,  "  How  will  it  affect  my  feelings,  my  in- 
tents, my  honour?"  but,  "How  will  it  affect  the  Lord,  His 
cause,  His  people,  and  my  fellow-men  ?  "  I  pray  to  be  de- 
livered by  the  cross,  the  constancy  and  love  of  the  self-forget- 
ting Jesus,  and  brought  under  the  habitual,  entire  dominion 
of  love.  May  I  not  live  on  myself  nor  for  myself;  but  live 
071  the  Lord,  and/or  the  Lord.' 


1  In  a  letter  written  in  August  1857,  he  says  : — 'Last  Sabbath  I 
preached,  surrounded  by  bodies  of  troops,  two  large  cannons  at  the 
side  of  the  church  loaded  with  canister  shot,  and  other  two  further 
down  the  street.  The  Free  Church  is  in  the  most  dangerous  quarter, 
being  surrounded  by  fierce  Mohammedans.  Their  college  is  on  the 
other  side  of  the  street,  and  their  chief  mosques  close  by.  All  our 
servants,  you  know,  are  natives ;  so  you  can  conceive  what  kind  of 
a  life  it  is  here  at  present.  Yet  we  have  never  felt  any  fear,  and  we 
have  never  lost  an  hour's  sleep  on  account  of  it.  Our  sorrow  is  for 
the  multitudes  who  are  beleaguered,  fleeing,  wounded,  suffering,  and 
dying  in  circumstances  of  unspeakable  horrcr.' 


LOSING  SIGHT  OF  INDIA.  277 

The  next  entry  is  October  10th,  'On  board  the  "  Hin- 
dostan,"  and  losing  sight  of  India? x 

Yet  of  India  he  never  'lost  sight,'  all  the  rest  of  his 
life  through.  He  thought  of  it,  spoke  of  it,  wrote  of  it, 
pleaded  for  it,  prayed  for  it.2     There  was  a  link  between 

1  I  do  not  enter  into  the  circumstances  of  his  leaving  India.  Mrs. 
Milne's  health  quite  broke  down  the  second  time.  The  medical  men 
were  of  opinion  that  she  must  go  to  England,  and  that  he  must  go 
with  her.  He  gave  in  his  resignation  to  the  Presbytery  in  March 
1857 ;  but  remained  till  October.  The  following  letter  from  Mr. 
Hawkins  (June  1S57)  to  Mrs.  Milne  will  be  read  here  with  interest : 
— 'I  had  heard,  before  I  received  your  letter,  of  your  proposed  re- 
moval from  Calcutta.  It  did  not  surprise  me,  for  I  did  not  expect 
that  your  health  would  stand  long  in  India  ;  and  another  separation, 
under  such  circumstances,  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  This  is  but 
another  movement  of  His  gracious  hand.  I  never  can  regret  the  part 
I  had  in  sending  your  dear  dear  husband  to  India.  I  am  as  satisfied, 
as  of  my  own  existence,  that  it  was  the  Lord's  doing.  I  have  never 
had  a  wavering  thought  upon  that  point ;  and  had  he  been  there  only 
as  many  days  as  he  has  been  years,  I  should  have  thought  and  felt 
the  same.  There  his  work  is  now  done,  and  his  Master  calls  him  to 
another  part  of  the  vineyard.  True,  it  is  a  very  solemn  step ;  but 
taken  under  His  guidance,  it  cannot  be  a  wrong  one.  It  may  be  con- 
trary to  all  your  desires  and  hopes  ;  but  I  need  not  tell  you  that  these 
we  are  at  liberty  to  indulge,  and  entertain,  only  so  far  as  they  are  in 
unison  with  His  most  gracious  will.  How  sweet,  at  His  bidding, 
to  quench  every  desire,  to  bid  farewell  to  every  hope,  and  to  move 
cheerfully  and  unhesitatingly,  just  as  His  finger  points,  or  His  eye 
leads  !  Your  dear  husband  may  yet  be  the  instrument  of  bringing 
souls  to  Christ,  in  Scotland,  or  some  other  field  of  labour.  Cherish 
the  thought,  for  it  will  cheer  and  strengthen  you.' 

2  Thus  he  wrote  to  his  friend  Mr.  Mackenzie,  on  the  7th  Decem- 
ber 1857  : — 'It  has  been,  and  is  a  real  trial  to  my  wife  and  me,  that 
we  were  obliged  to  leave  a  country  where  we  hoped  to  live  and  die. 
I  shall  have  much  to  tell  you,  when  we  meet,  about  India.  Only  those 
who  have  been  there  for  some  time,  and  have  seen  a  good  deal  of  it, 


273  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

him  and  that  land  which  could  not  be  broken.  As  his 
home  work  and  home  sorrows  had  prepared  him  for  India, 
so  had  his  Indian  toil  and  trials  fitted  him  for  his  remain- 
ing ten  years  of  home  work. 

His  voyage  home  had  nothing  special  about  it,  and  his 
record  regarding  it  is  brief.  All  goes  on  smoothly ;  he 
preaches  and  does  some  work  on  board ;  but  he  thinks  it 
an  'idle  life ;'  he  looks  homeward,  and  wonders  what  work 
is  awaiting  him.     Thus  he  muses  in  pleasant  measures  : — 

'  Too  long  I  have  been  blinded 

By  unbelief  and  sin, 
Too  long  been  earthly  minded  ; — 

The  world  has  dwelt  within. 
But  now  the  light  has  broken 

Upon  my  foolish  soul ; 
My  God  in  love  has  spoken, 

His  words  have  made  me  whole. 

I  see  the  strange  enchantment 

That  led  me  thus  astray, 
The  hope  of  full  contentment 

Still  lured  me  on  the  way. 
I've  toiled  in  ceaseless  action 

For  things  which  never  give 
True  peace  and  satisfaction 

To  those  who  for  them  live. 


can  form  an  adequate  idea  how  little  our  century  of  possession  has 
done  for  it,  either  in  the  way  of  christianizing  its  people,  or  develop- 
ing its  resources.  We  have  merely  touched  it  at  a  few  far  distant 
points,  and  even  there  have  merely  grazed  the  surface.  The  work  is 
still  to  do,  and  will  require  unspeakable  faith,  patience,  prayer,  toil, 
and,  above  all,  the  example  and  converse  of  living,  holy  men,  freely 
intermingling  with,  and  enlightening  and  quickening,  the  dark,  de- 
praved mass.' 


POETIC  MUSINGS.  279 

I  wish  no  more  to  follow 

Those  images  untrue ; 
No  more  may  mirage  hollow, 

Present  itself  to  view. 
Lord,  keep  me  near  the  fountain, 

Where  living  waters  flow  ; 
And  guide  me  up  Thy  mountain, 

Away  from  things  below.' 

And  again  he  sings,  as  he  is  sighting  the  coast  of  Africa, 
when  about  to  enter  the  Red  Sea : — 

'  A  friend  I  have  who  never 

Forsakes  me  in  my  need  ; 
Whose  love,  continuing  ever, 

Is  proved  by  word  and  deed. 
He  sought  me  when,  in  folly, 

I  wandered  far  abroad ; 
To  Him  I  owe  it  wholly 

That  now  I  walk  with  God. 

I  often  vex  and  grieve  Him 

By  sinful  unbelief ; 
And  oft  forget,  and  leave  Him 

To  seek  elsewhere  relief. 
But  when  my  troubles  gather, 

And  sorrows  overpower ; 
He  leaves  me  not,  but  rather 

Seems  kinder  than  before. 

Though  now  thick  clouds  enfold  me, 

Not  knowing  what  awaits, 
I'm  sure  He  will  uphold  me, 

In  all  my  trying  straits. 
I  know  He  will  my  losses 

Convert  to  heavenly  gains, 
And  He  will  use  my  crosses, 

To  break  my  earthly  chains.' 


CHAPTER  XV. 

1858-1866. 

RESETTLEMENT   IN   PERTH,   AND   WORK   THERE. 

MR.  MILNE  arrives  safely  in  London;  and,  after 
spending  a  week  there,  goes  down  to  St.  Leonards- 
on-Sea  towards  the  end  of  November.  He  enjoys  the 
quiet,  but  longs  for  work.  On  the  9th  December  1857,  he 
thus  writes  to  Mr.  Mackenzie  from  St.  Leonards-on-Sea: — 

'  We  are  comfortably  and  quietly  settled  here,  and  I  am  en- 
joying the  rest.  In  looking  back,  as  we  naturally  do  in  such 
circumstances,  we  see  much  to  regret  and  lament,  and  are  glad 
to  betake  ourselves  afresh  to  Him  who  is  ever  willing  to  cast 
His  skirt  over  us,  and  say,  Peace  be  to  you.  I  trust  that  Just 
and  Blessed  One  is  becoming  better  known  to  you,  and  grow- 
ingly  precious,  as  you  pass  on  your  way.  The  under-shepherds 
come  and  go,  but  He  ever  abides.' 

He  visits  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  in  January.  His  old 
Perth  flock  (with  some  exceptions)  seek  his  return  to  them, 
they  being,  in  God's  mysterious  providence,  at  that  time 
without  a  pastor.1  Before  the  call  reaches  him,  he  hears 
of  the  desire  to  secure  his  return  to  Perth. 

1  Though  his  eye  turns  to  his  old  flock,  he  refuses  to  take  any  step 
to  forward  his  return  to  them.     '  I  am  still  as  of  old,'  he  writes,  '  the 


RETURN  TO  PERTH.  281 

'Professor  Bannerman,' he  writes  (Jan.  12,  185S),  'met  me 
the  other  day,  and  said — 

' "  So  you  are  going  back  to  your  old  nest  ?  * 

'  "  That's  still  a  question." 

' "  No,  no ;  you  are  going  back,  and  you  will  find  it  warm  yet." 

'  It  will  indeed  be  very  strange  if  I  should  again  be  settled 
among  you.  I  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Burns,  that,  in  our  altered 
circumstances,  I  cannot  expect  everything  to  be  quite  square 
and  smooth.  You  sent  me  away  in  a  kind  of  chariot  of  flame, 
filled  with  the  love  of  an  affectionate  people.  If  I  return,  it 
will  be  in  a  lowlier  guise ;  and,  perhaps,  this  is  the  best  for 
us  all.' 

On  the  30th  of  January  the  call  reaches  him  in  Edin- 
burgh. He  accepts  it.  'A  busy  but  happy  month  '  is  his 
record  at  this  time.  He  returns  for  a  little  to  St.  Leonards- 
on-Sea.  There  is  some  little  division  among  his  old  people ; 
but  he  is  led  to  carry  out  his  acceptance  of  the  call,  and  is 
settled  among  them  on  the  4th  of  March  1858  ;  '  meeting 
with  much  kindness  and  loving  welcome.'  He  goes  to 
London  to  bring  Mrs.  Milne  home ;  meets  with  an  old 
school  companion,  and  hears  full  tidings  about  Peterhead, 
the  place  of  his  birth.  He  congratulates  himself  that  he 
has  not  connected  himself  with  the  English  Presbyterian 
Church,  '  which  seems  about  to  divide  on  the  organ 
question.' 

His  May  journal  is  brief :  '  Life  passing  on  quietly,  with 
many  mercies.'  '  Kept  in  peace.'  '  Helped  in  my  work, 
though  feeble.'     '  I  feel  the  necessity  of  refusing  dark, 

man  of  peace,  and  am  as  fond  as  ever  of  peace  and  harmony  in  the 
house  of  God.  I  should  wish,  therefore,  to  wait  quietly  till  the  Lord 
clearly  point  out  to  me  my  future  field  of  labour.  He  has  blessed  me 
hitherto,  and  I  know  that  He  will  bless  me  still.' 


282  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

hard  thoughts  of  God.'      Thus  he  writes  his  feelings  in 

easy,  happy  measure  : — 

'  Belov'd  of  Jesus,  whence  thy  fear, 
Thy  frequent  sigh,  thy  dropping  tear? 
Should  not  this  thought  thy  spirit  cheer, 
He  cares  for  thee  ? 

Thy  way,  I  know,  is  strange  and  new, 
Thy  dear  ones  gone,  thy  helpers  few  ; 
But  still  this  word  remaineth  true — 
He  cares  for  thee  ! 

Thy  work  is  great,  thy  strength  is  small, 
And  thoughts  of  failure  on  thee  fall ; 
But  in  thy  weakness  on  Him  call, 
He  cares  for  thee  ! 

Whate'er  thy  tim'rous  heart  may  say, 
Whate'er  thy  feelings,  night  or  day, 
Should  all  seem  joining  to  betray — 
He  cares  for  thee  ! 

He  goes  with  thee,  thy  steps  to  guide, 
Thy  wounds  to  heal,  thy  sins  to  hide  ; 
Then  call  on  Him,  whate'er  betide, 
He  cares  for  thee  ! 

His  love  how  great  no  tongue  can  tell ; 
He  died  to  save  thy  soul  from  hell ; 
No  wife  nor  mother  loves  so  well ; — 
He  cares  for  thee  ! 

Belov'd  of  Jesus,  trust  Him  still, 
Thy  lot  to  choose,  thy  cup  to  fill ; 
Let  no  dark  thoughts  thy  spirit  chill — 
He  cares  for  thee  ! ' 

Settled  in  Perth  once  more   among  his  old  flock,  in 

which,  however,  there  have  been  some  discords  and  some 

changes,  he  thus  writes  : — '  I  enjoy  my  work,  and  the  Lord 

helps  me.     I  have  abounding  cause  to  love  and  trust  Him. 


O  VER-  WORK  AND  ITS  E  VILS.  283 

Say  to  me,  Lord,  as  to  Abraham,  "  I  am  El-Shaddai ;  walk 
before  Me,  and  be  thou  perfect."  I  am  longing  for  more 
power.  I  see  that  faith  is  flower;  I  desire  to  cultivate 
faith  j  to  resist  and  strive  against  all  that  would  hinder  my 
simple,  implicit  trust  in  my  God  and  Saviour.' 

Here  is  a  letter  to  one  of  his  elders,  which  fits  in  here  : — 
1 4.1,  Bernard  Street,  Russel  Square,  London,  3d  May  1858. 
— My  dear  Mr.  Mackenzie, — I  ought  to  have  written  long 
ago,  and  will  not  attempt  any  excuse  or  apology,  save  remind- 
ing you  of  the  dilatoriness  incident  to  a  man  out  of  harness, 
out  of  usual  beat,  and  quite  away  from  all  his  old  landmarks. 
I  am  slowly  but  reluctantly  coming  to  the  belief  that  I  have 
been  suffering  from  physical  causes, — the  long  overtasking 
and  mismanagement  and  neglect  of  the  nervous  system.  Dr. 
B  ram  well,  Dr.  Macleod,  and  Dr.  Martin  all  agree  in  this  ;  and 
at  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses,  this,  like  other  things, 
must  be  reckoned  established.  They  all  recommend  complete 
repose ;  and  this  I  feel  I  have  not  been  taking,  even  at  Ben- 
Rhydding.  The  mind  was  still  working  in  the  way  of  regret  for 
the  past,  or  looking  forward  to  the  future.  I  fear  I  had  too 
much  a  lurking  idea  that  I  had  something  in  my  own  power, 
and  that  I  had  only  to  say,  "  I  will  go  out  as  at  other  times 
before,  and  shake  myself."  I  feel  that  I  am  suffering  the  re- 
tribution, the  Nemesis,  of  former  years  of  unresting,  unrelaxing 
labour.  The  regular  home  work,  without  any  weekly  rest,  and 
then,  when  summer  came,  instead  of  the  yearly  relaxation, 
itinerancies  of  exciting  and  threefold  labour.  There  was  real 
folly  in  all  this ;  it  was  just,  as  it  were,  saying,  "  A  short  life,  but 
a  merry  one  ;"  and  yet,  in  the  end,  one  finds  that  there  comes  a 
season,  neither  short  nor  merry,  when  the  physical,  intellectual, 
emotional,  and  spiritual  all  seem  expended  and  worn  out,  and 
the  unhappy  individual  becomes  a  trial  and  a  burden  to  him- 
self and  others.  But  the  ways  of  the  Lord  are  right,  His  laws 
are  holy,  just,  and  good ;  and  if,  in  the  well-meaning  desire  to 
do  all  we  could,  we  have  overdone,  and  incurred  the  righteous 


2S4  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

sanctions,  it  is  meet  to  humble  ourselves,  and  say,  "  If  His  law 
has  not  been  honoured  by  our  obedience,  let  it  be  so  in  our 
suffering."  Pray  for  me  now,  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  submit, 
and  be  really  quiet.  I  have  a  strong  persuasion  that  when 
I  am  enabled,  in  reference  to  all  this  long  sore  trial,  to  say, 
honestly,  heartily,  and  thankfully,  "  The  will  of  the  Lord  be 
done,"  then  the  night  will  begin  to  pass,  and  the  morning  to 
dawn.  I  have  said,  thankfully  ;  and  is  not  this  right  ?  For  is  it 
not  kind  in  the  Lord  to  have  taken  such  pains  with  me?  and  has 
not  He  mingled  many  mercies  in  the  cup,  in  keeping  the  con- 
gregation so  wonderfully  together,  and  in  now  bringing  among 
you  one  who,  I  know,  will  be  made  a  comfort  and  blessing  ? 
I  would  fain  hope  that  a  time  of  blessing  is  at  hand,  both  for 
St.  Leonard's  and  Perth.  Oh  how  differently  God  is  dealing 
with  our  land — dropping  down  the  beginnings  of  a  pente- 
costal  shower — from  the  way  in  which  He  is  dealing  with  our 
neighbour  nations,  on  whom  the  angel  from  before  the  altar  is 
casting  down  the  live  coals  of  wrath  and  vengeance  !  Perhaps 
this  is  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  God's  long  controversy  with 
those  who  have  hated  His  truth,  and  worn  out  His  saints. 
At  the  public  meetings  here,  there  are  constant  references  to 
the  present  crisis  ;  but  the  constant  expression,  also,  of  a  deep, 
heartfelt,  universal  desire  that  we  may  not  in  any  way  be  en- 
tangled or  mixed  up  with  the  quarrel.' 

The  following  fragments  are  from  letters  written  in  this 
year  from  different  places  : — 

'  I  looked  in  at  the 's.     I  spoke  a  little  with  them,  and 

then  said,  "  I  am  a  minister;"  took  out  my  little  Testament, 
read,  and  prayed.  I  should  fancy,  from  their  look,  that  it 
rather  took  them  by  surprise.' 

'  London. — After  leaving  you  I  got  wrapt  in  thought,  and 
had  some  nice  thoughts  brought  to  mind,  and  never  roused 
till  we  came  to  the  station.  There  a  blind  man,  who  was 
sitting  beside  me,  got  up  to  leave,  and  I  felt  reproach  that  I 
had  not  tried  to  speak  to  him.     However,  it  gave  me  a  new 


LETTER-FRA  GMENTS.  2S5 

idea  of  the  need  of  "  He  wakeneth  morning  by  morning." 
Fresh  impulse  and  fresh  words  are  needed  every  day.' 

'  Dundee. — A  deserter  was  at  the  station  in  handcuffs, 
guarded  by  a  sergeant  and  soldier.  I  asked  to  speak  with 
him,  and  the  sergeant  took  me,  and  I  spoke  a  little,  and 
prayed.  Also,  I  had  some  talk  with  a  Jewish  merchant.  He 
held  that  the  promises  would  be  fulfilled  if  the  Jews  became 
Christians  and  amalgamated  with  the  Gentiles.  I  helped  him 
a  little  with  his  luggage,  and  we  parted  as  friends.' 

'  Perth. — The  great  struggle  is  to  look  simply  to  the  Lord, 
and  not  look  to  men's  smiles  or  frowns ;  but,  then,  the  victory  is 
blessed — peace  as  a  flowing  river.  What  an  atheistic  state  of 
mind  we  are  often  in,  when  we  try  to  please  the  worms  of  the 
dust!  It  is  very  dishonouring,  and  must  be  very  grieving  to 
the  Lord.' 

1  Perth. — I  think  the  "dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus"  (2  Cor.  iv. 
10)  is  more  than  the  remembrance.  I  think  it  is  the  power  of 
His  death  ;  that  is,  as  God,  by  many  instrumentalities — devils, 
wicked  men,  His  own  disciples,  the  trials  of  this  life,  the  bur- 
den of  the  sins  of  many,  the  sights  and  sounds  of  this  evil 
world,  and,  at  last,  the  cross — bruised  Him  to  death  ;  so  God 
is  using  all  occurrences,  even  the  way  in  which  He  is  leading 
us  in  the  wilderness,  to  bruise,  mortify,  humble,  and  gradually 
abolish  the  old  man.  And  as  this  death  goes  on,  it  makes 
room  for  the  power  of  Christ's  life. 

1  It  is  not  easy,  amid  the  manifold  temptations  and  conse- 
quent heaviness,  to  be  always  rejoicing;  but  I  think  I  should 
like  to  be ;  and  I  fancy  the  only  way  is,  Try,  try,  try  again,  in 
the  new  and  living  way.     "  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled." 

'  He  shall  hide  me  in  His  pavilion,  only  I  must  not  be 
always  lifting  the  Purdah? 1 

Before  the  end  of  this  year  (1858)  his  health  began  to 
fail,  and  in  January  1859  he  had  to  leave  home  for  change 
and  rest.    He  went  to  Ben-Rhydding ; — while  there,  sowing 
1  Curtain  :  a  Hindoo  word. 


2S6  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

some  seed,  as  occasion  offered ;  reading  to  the  masons, 
working  in  the  neighbourhood,  at  their  dinner  hour. 
Then  he  went  to  London  for  a  while,  and  returned  home 
in  June,  far  from  well,  and  unfit  for  his  work  in  conse- 
quence of  deep  depression.  Towards  the  end  of  the  year 
he  rather  hastily  left  home  for  Liverpool,  thinking  that  he 
had  work  elsewhere.  He  then  went  to  Ireland,  during  the 
great  revival  there.  He  soon  after  returned  to  Edin- 
burgh, and  then  went  to  Wales  for  a  season ;  but  such 
had  been  the  extent  of  his  ailment  at  this  time,  that  he 
had  no  recollection  afterwards  of  some  of  these  changes, 
especially  of  his  visit  to  Ireland.  His  head  was  sorely 
troubling  him.  His  stay  at  Llandudno  for  six  months  quite 
restored  him,  so  that  he  returned  to  Perth,  in  February 
i860,  re-established  in  all  respects.  His  first  sermon 
was,  Job  xlii.  5,  '  I  have  heard  of  Thee  by  the  hearing  of 
the  ear ;  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  Thee.'  While  resting  at 
Llandudno  (in  1859)  he  could  not  be  altogether  idle ;  but 
his  ignorance  of  the  Welsh  language  kept  him  nearly  so. 
In  order,  however,  to  sow  some  seed,  he  got  Welsh  tracts 
for  distribution;  and  he  had  a  few  brief  sentences  trans- 
lated for  him,  such  as  '  O  Lord,  give  me  Thy  Holy  Spirit, 
for  Christ's  sake  ;'  and 

'  I  am  a  poor  sinner,  and  nothing  at  all, 
But  Jesus  Christ  is  my  all  in  all. ' 

These  Mrs.  Milne  and  he  wrote  on  slips  of  paper,  and 
gave  them  to  those  they  met  with  by  the  way. 

In  the  beginning  of  1859  he  had  begun  to  feel  the  un- 
divided pastoral  work  of  so  large  a  congregation  as  Free 
St.  Leonard's  too  heavy  for  him,  and  to  think  either  of  a 


THOUGHTS  OF  A  COLLEAGUE.  287 

temporary  assistant  or  of  a  permanent  colleague.  He  thus 
tvrites  to  one  of  his  elders,  on  the  5th  of  April,  from  Ben- 
Rhydding : — 

1  My  dear  Mr.  Mackenzie, —  ...  I  trust  you  will  be 
guided,  wisely  and  speedily,  to  one  who  will  be  made  a  blessing 
to  that  much  and  long-tried  flock.  But  it  is  the  Lord's  way  in 
which  we  are  going,  not  our  own  ;  and  if  we  are  enabled  to 
hold  on  in  faith  and  patience,  we  shall  certainly  reach  some 
blessed  landing-place.  It  is  not  easy  to  rest  in  this  while  all 
is  dark  and  uncertain  ;  but  they  who  dwell  in  the  secret  place 
of  the  Most  High  can  do  it.  Perhaps  the  highest  honour  and 
the  best  service  we  can  render  to  God  is  to  trust  Him  in 
troublous  times.  It  is  then  that  the  flesh  is  completely  mor- 
tified, and  the  soul,  in  acquiescence  and  confidence,  clings  to 
its  Lord.  Such  seasons  manifest  and  confirm  the  union  between 
the  redeemed  creature  and  its  Creator.  Paul  has  gone  through 
much,  and  looked  at  the  worst  that  could  happen — tribulation, 
affliction,  famine, — ere  he  could  fully  realize  and  make  his 
boast  of  that  union  from  which  he  feels  that  nothing  in  the 
height  above  or  depth  beneath  shall  be  able  to  separate.' 

On  the  26th  of  August,  he  thus  writes  to  the  same  : — 

'  My  DEAR  Friend, — My  first  thought  was  simply  to  resign 
the  charge.  But  this  would  not  meet  the  present  emergency, 
as,  from  the  dilatory  mode  of  proceeding  in  such  cases,  months 
would  probably  elapse  ere  the  congregation  would  be  in  a  con- 
dition to  make  a  call.  Besides,  with  the  faint  dawn  of  returning 
mental  health  there  is  a  revival  of  old  feelings,  and  a  hope 
that  I  may  yet  be  able  to  do  something  for  a  people  to  whom 
I  owe  so  much,  and  on  whom  my  return  has  been  the  means 
of  bringing  so  many  trials.  I  therefore  feel  myself  shut  up  to 
ask  a  colleague  ;  and  it  is  a  great  relief  to  see  the  leadings  of 
Providence  in  the  matter  so  clear.  I  have  therefore  enclosed 
letters  to  this  effect  for  the  session  and  Presbytery.  You  might 
communicate  my  views  and  wishes  to  my  friend  Mr.  Cowan. 


288  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

If  I  should  be  permitted  to  return  and  labour  for  a  season  in 
Perth,  there  is  no  one,  I  think,  with  whom  I  should  find  it  more 
easy  and  pleasant  to  co-operate  than  with  him.  I  shall  be 
anxious  to  hear  how  this  matter  proceeds.  Kindest  love  to  all 
at  home,  and  to  other  friends.  Believe  me,  very  affectionately 
yours,  'J.  M.' 

On  the  1 6th  of  September,  he  writes  to  the  same  : — 

'  My  dear  Friend, —  ...  As  you  expected,  Mr.  Cowan 
has  decided  to  remain  at  Perth  ;  and  this  I  feel  to  be  a  cause 
of  great  satisfaction  and  thankfulness.  Though  I  knew  him 
so  little,  I  have  always  felt  my  heart  drawn  to  him  in  a  mingled 
feeling  of  hopefulness  and  esteem  ;  and  if  I  should  be  in  part 
and  for  a  season  restored  to  work  again,  perhaps  the  spectacle 
of  two  taking  sweet  counsel  together,  and  walking  in  harmony, 
may  help  to  repair  our  breaches,  and  to  promote  the  cause  of 
God.  Our  best  days  in  St.  Leonard's  were  when  William 
Burns,  and  afterwards  A.  Bonar  and  Mr.  Cumming,  used  to 
take  part,  and  work  side  by  side.  But  all  this  is  in  the  Lord's 
hand,  and  we  must  try  for  the  present  to  leave  it  there.  We 
know  that  He  will  not  always  chide.  I  have  found  it  very  hard 
to  submit  to  the  dispensation  of  being  wholly  laid  aside  in 
this  season  of  hope  and  harvest.  But  the  Lord  in  mercy  still 
continues  the  needed  discipline ;  and  I  have  a  hope  that,  in 
due  time,  He  will  bring  me  to  acquiesce,  and  perhaps  enable 
me  even  to  say,  "  Most  gladly  will  I  glory  in  my  infirmities." 
....  I  wonder  if  there  is  any  place  in  Liverpool  where  we 
could  get  a  small  supply  of  Welsh  tracts  ?  We  had  a  parcel 
of  them,  but  they  are  gone.' 

Mr.  Milne's  wishes  were  speedily  gratified,  and  his 
anxieties  removed,  by  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Cowan  as 
his  permanent  colleague. 

Few  colleagueships  have  been  the  source  of  so  much 
mutual  comfort  and  assistance.     The  affectionate  way  in 


LETTER  TO  MR.   COWAN. 


which  Mr.  Milne  always  spoke  of  Mr.  Cowan  showed  how 
highly  he  appreciated  him,  and  how  great  was  the  con- 
fidence which  he  reposed  in  him  as  a  fellow-pastor  and  a 
friend.     The  following  letter  will  show  this  : — 

' Llandudno,  North  Wales,  Jan.  12,  i860.  —  My  dear 
Brother, — I  am  favoured  with  your  kind  letter,  and  feel  that 
I  ought  to  have  written  before,  to  offer  our  congratulations 
and  good  wishes  on  the  occasion  of  your  full  entrance  on  the 
ministry.  But  I  knew  that  you  would  not  require  words  to 
tell  you  of  the  interest  which  we  felt  ;  and  I  need  not  say  that, 
in  present  circumstances,  I  often  feel  little  inclined  for  corre- 
spondence. Yet  I  must  not  complain  of  this  trial,  painful  and 
prolonged  as  it  has  been.  I  think  light  is  beginning  to  dawn 
upon  us,  and  we  are  able  to  say,  "  It  was  needful,  and  is  and 
will  be  good."  I  believe  the  Lord  is  leading  us  through  fire 
and  water  to  bring  us  into  a  wealthy  place.  He  is  showing  us 
that,  when  He  is  pleased  to  shine  upon  His  word,  and  to  shed 
abroad  His  love  in  our  heart,  we  can  be  happy  even  in  this 
wilderness,  far  from  work,  and  friends,  and  privileges.  Yet 
the  wilderness  is  to  us,  as  to  the  Master,  a  place  of  much 
temptation  ;  and  the  heart  longs  for  the  time  when  He  will  say, 
"Ye  have  tarried  long  enough;  rise,  and  take  your  journey." 
We  should  like  to  see  some  clear  indication  of  His  will  before 
we  take  any  steps.  Pray  for  us  that  this  may  be  given,  that  I 
may  again  be  set  free  to  engage  in  His  blessed  work,  in  such 
way  and  measure  as  He  may  see  fit.  I  need  strength  and 
grace,  and  I  would  fain  have  the  sense  of  them  in  my  own 
keeping  ;  but  I  feel  that  He  is  teaching  me  the  life  of  faith,  to 
feel  that  I  am  in  myself  nothing  but  sin,  and  weakness,  and 
poverty ;  and  yet  to  go  cheerfully  and  joyfully  on  my  way, 
resting  on  that  word,  "  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee ;  my 
strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness."  This  would  indeed  be 
the  victory  over  self;  and  a  glorious,  blessed  liberty.  When 
one  gets  a  Spirit-bestowed  glimpse  of  the  great  salvation, — so 
divine,  spontaneous,  full,  free,  and  near ;  how  it  is  shining 

T 


290  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


down  upon  us  like  the  mid-day  light ;  how  it  is  flooding  all 
around  us  like  a  high  and  resistless  tide, — it  seems  strange 
that  we  can  remain  for  a  single  moment  without  the  fulness  of 
peace  and  joy !  I  can  see  how  the  Lord  should  marvel  at 
unbelief,  and  why  that  gracious  operation,  by  which  it  is  over- 
come, should  be  described  as  the  exceeding  greatness  of  God's 
power.  I  see  that  you  also  are  tried  from  day  to  day ;  but  I 
trust  this  only  proceeds  from  the  fear  of  the  adversary  dreading 
damage  to  his  cause,  and  from  the  wise  love  of  the  Master,  seek- 
ing to  make  you  an  instrument  of  extensive  usefulness.  It  is 
the  worm  Jacob  by  whom  He  threshes  the  mountains,  and  from 
whom  He  gets  all  the  praise  and  glory.  The  Lord  must 
humble  us  before  He  can  advantageously  or  safely  exalt  us. 
We  have  been  thinking  of  you  and  the  congregation  during 
this  week.  I  am  glad  that  you  have  these  meetings  in  conceit 
with  so  many  throughout  the  world.  We  are  with  you  in  spirit, 
though  absent  in  the  flesh.  Here  there  are  united  meetings 
every  night  among  the  Independents,  Calvinistic  and  Wesleyan 
Methodists  ;  but  they  are  all  in  Welsh,  so  that  we  have  to  be 
a  little  church  ourselves,  pleading  the  promise,  "If  any  two  of 
you  agree."  Accept  our  united  regards  ;  and  longing  for  your 
prosperity,  and  that  of  the  flock,  ever  very  affectionately  yours, 

'J.  Milne.' 

On  the  16th  of  February  i860,  having  returned  home, 
he  met  his  people  at  the  weekly  prayer-meeting.  He  told, 
as  he  usually  did  in  such  cases,  of  all  that  he  had  seen 
and  heard  when  away :  of  the  work  of  God  in  Wales,  be- 
ginning in  one  place  during  the  week  of  prayer ;  of  some 
striking  conversions  at  Abergele  ;  of  the  earnest  cry  of 
some  Christians  there  previously,  '  Is  Abergele  to  be  left 
dry  ?'  He  then  added,  '  I  dare  say  some  of  my  old 
friends  here,  who  can  look  back  twenty  years,  remember 
our  prayer  then,  "  Is  Kilsyth  to  get  it  all  ?     Is  Dundee  to 


TAKING  COUNSEL  TOGETHER.  291 

get  it  all?  Is  Perth  to  get  none?"  May  the  Lord's 
people  here  thus  plead  with  Him  till  He  send  the  shower! 
As  the  people  were  returning  from  Abergele  Church  on 
Sabbath,  they  heard  voices  from  a  room  under  an  Inde- 
pendent chapel ;  and  some,  on  looking  in,  saw  seventeen 
lads,  with  heads  bowed  down  in  prayer,  asking  for  mercy 
of  the  Lord.  That  was  said  to  be  the  beginning  of  up- 
wards of  a  hundred  conversions.  At  Bangor,  also,  the 
hand  of  God  was  manifest.' 

About  the  same  time  he  writes  to  Mr.  Cowan,  in  reference 
to  the  meeting  of  kirk-session,  when  the  quarterly  reports 
of  district  visitors  were  given  in  : — 

'  You  will  be  at  the  session  to-night,  and  therefore  I  will  not 
go.  You  know  my  mind,  that  there  should  be  only  one  will 
there,  and  that  will  should  be  yours.  We  can  work  very  well 
together  by  mutual  counsel  and  prayer,  and  show  how  easy 
and  pleasant  all  things  are  to  those  who  live  and  love  in  Jesus. 
Will  you  make  my  excuse  to  the  brethren  ?  Say  that  it  is  not 
that  I  have  forgotten  our  long  and  pleasant,  and  often  much 
blessed  fellowship,  but  because  the  Lord  makes  me  long  to  see 
you  and  them  continuing  to  grow  into  one  another  in  sweet 
abiding  union,  without  any  interfering  influence.  I  feel  sure 
that  you  will  all  have  not  a  little  this  evening  to  communicate 
to  one  another,  of  what,  is  hopeful  and  promising  and  ground 
for  thankfulness.' 

In  the  same  spirit,  he  sends  a  note  to  Mr.  Cowan,  in 
reference  to  some  discussions  in  the  kirk-session  : — 

'  My  dear  Brother, — Do  you  remember  that,  at  the  first 
communion,  there  was  a  strife  among  the  disciples  ?  We  have 
often  found  it  so  at  this  time.  But  we  are  older  and  more 
experienced  now.  If  the  subject  of  helping  the  psalmody  is 
brought  forward,  try  to  get  through  it  smoothly.     "  Take  us 


292  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  foxes."  There  is  a  place  and  work  for  every  one ;  and 
every  one  should  be  put  in  their  place  and  put  to  their  work, 
else  there  will  be  mischief.  Let  us  thank  God,  and  use  any 
grace  or  gift  He  gives,  and  not  grudge  at  one  another.  The 
God  of  peace  be  among  you.' 

On  the  day  after  a  Sabbath- school  soiree,  he  writes  thus 
pleasantly  to  Mr.  Cowan  : — 

'  My  dear  Brother, — I  thought  the  meeting  last  night 
was  a  great  success,  and  a  matter  for  thankfulness.  The 
speaking  that  I  heard  was  excellent.  The  behaviour  of  the 
children  was  all  one  could  desire.  I  rather  reproached  myself 
for  being  over-stern  ;  and  thought,  would  the  Master  have 
checked  the  little  ones  in  their  ebullition  as  I  did  ?  But  I 
thought  of  old  converting  days,  and  was  longing  for  them 
back  again.  Let  me  send  an  additional  gift  towards  the  ex- 
penses, which,  I  fancy,  must  have  been  considerable,  when  I 
think  of  the  affluence  of  the  good  things  I  saw  in  the  vestry.'1 

In  the  autumn  of  i860,  the  first  of  the  open-air  meetings 
on  the  South  Inch  was  held.  As  soon  as  he  heard  the 
proposal  regarding  these,  he  threw  himself  heartily  into 
the  work,  and  his  doing  so  drew  others  into  it.  Those 
three  days'  meetings  in  i860  were  followed  by  seventy 
nights  of  continuous  service,  when  '  many  were  added  to 
the  Church.'  He  greatly  enjoyed  that  time  ;  not  the  less, 
because  the  work  was  not  confined  to  his  congregation, 
but  carried  on  by  ministers  of  all  denominations. 

The  following  letter  to  '  the  People  of  Perth '  at  this 
time  is  as  characteristic  as  it  is  striking  : — 

'  My  dear  Friends, — In  the  name,  and  at  the  request  of 
some  of  our  fellow-townsmen,  I  venture  to  address  to  you  a 

'  When  intimating  a  collection,  he  used  to  say,  '  You  know  I  never 
beg  from  you ;  I  only  ask  you  to  give  the  purse-strings  to  Christ' 


LETTER  TO  THE  PEOPLE  OF  PERTH.  293 

few  words  of  love  and  kindness.  We  feel  that  we  are  come 
to  a  great  crisis  in  our  history.  After  nearly  two  years  of  prayer 
and  waiting,  the  Lord  has  visited  us  in  unexampled  mercy. 
You  are  yourselves  witnesses  of  the  events  of  the  last  fortnight, 
— you  saw  the  multitudes  who  gathered  together  at  the  open- 
air  meetings  on  the  South  Inch,  and  crowded  the  City  Hall 
and  other  places  at  night.  Those  of  you  who  mingled  with 
these  assemblages,  could  not  but  have  observed  the  solemn 
impression  which  prevailed,  and  must  also  have  heard  expres- 
sions of  interest,  conviction,  prayer,  and  thanksgiving  from 
many  a  lip.  In  particular,  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  on  the 
second  night,  the  City  Hall  presented  a  scene  never  before 
witnessed  on  such  a  scale  in  Perth  ;  it  was  like  a  battle-field,  a 
harvest-field;  hundreds  were  seeking  the  Lord,  or  rejoicing 
that  they  had  found  Him.  Blessed  be  God  for  such  a  season  ; 
and  yet,  dear  friends,  had  this  been  all,  we  should  not  now  be 
addressing  you.  Had  the  movement  stopped  at  this  point,  we 
might  have  attributed  it  to  the  presence  and  labours  of  those 
ministers  and  laymen  from  a  distance,  whom  the  Lord  has  so 
greatly  honoured  and  blessed  in  other  places.  But  God  has 
shown  us  the  truth  of  His  own  word,  "  Not  by  power,  nor  by 
might,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord."  After  all  the  visitors 
had  left  us,  the  meetings  continued  as  crowded,  as  solemn,  as 
earnest  as  before.  It  even  seems  as  if  the  impression  were 
deepening,  and  growing  from  night  to  night.  Oh,  dear  friends, 
salvation  is  near,  salvation  is  in  the  midst  of  us  !  The  light 
of  God  is  shining,  and  men  are  awakening ;  the  Spirit  of  God 
is  come,  and  is  convincing  men  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of 
judgment.  Hundreds  remain  night  after  night  to  seek  the 
Saviour,  and  many  find  Him.  Oh  !  it  seems  easy  at  present 
to  be  saved.  What,  in  ordinary  times,  is  spread  over  months 
or  years,  seems  now  compressed  into  an  instant,  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye.  Men  comprehend  at  once  that  they  are  lost,  help- 
less, without  strength,  and  that  the  Lord  Jesus  is  all  they  need. 
They  feel  that  He  is  near  them,  is  knocking  at  their  door,  is 
stretching  out  His  hands,  and  that  it  is  only  a  look,  a  cry,  an 


294  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

act  of  reliance,  and  the  day  dawns  upon  them,  and  their  peace 
begins  to  flow  as  a  river.  Oh,  friends,  salvation  is  near,  very 
near  !  We  can  testify  of  many,  who  come  to  these  meetings 
careless,  worldly,  and  influenced  only  by  curiosity,  and  who 
yet  leave  them  trusting  and  rejoicing  in  the  Lord.  Yea,  we 
have  seen  some  awakened,  converted,  and  beginning  to  exhort 
and  instruct  others,  and  all  this  in  the  course  of  a  few  moments. 
Beloved  friends,  there  is  nothing  strange  or  incredible  in  this. 
A.11  Scripture  testifies  to  it.  What  is  salvation  ?  It  is  just 
Christ.  All  the  fulness  is  in  Him,  and  God  offers  Him  freely 
to  all  who  will  receive  Him.  Does  it  take  long  to  accept  a 
gift?  Does  the  beggar  take  long  to  receive  your  offered 
alms  ?  And  just  so  with  us ;  God  is  willing  and  waiting  to 
give  you  His  Son.  Are  you  willing  to  receive  Him? — then 
He  is  yours. 

'  Beloved  friends,  we  long  for  you  in  the  Lord,  our  hearts 
are  yearning  over  you.  We  are  happy  ourselves,  and  we  wish 
you  to  be  happy  too.  Come  and  see,  come  and  judge  for  your- 
selves. Be  not  influenced  by  the  opinions  of  men.  Do  not 
listen  to  the  suggestions  of  your  own  hearts.  This  is  an  ac- 
ceptable time,  a  day  of  merciful  visitation.  The  wind  is  blow- 
ing, the  tide  is  swelling  high;  cut  your  moorings,  and  join  us  in 
our  voyage  to  Emmanuel's  Land. 

'  Beloved  friends,  you  know  me ;  I  have  been  long  among 
you,  and  have  much  reason  to  love  you.  I  left  you,  and 
reckoned  that,  after  a  short  season  of  labour  for  my  Lord,  I 
should  lie  down  in  the  dust  of  a  far  distant  land.  But  the  Lord 
has  strangely  brought  me  back,  to  gladden  me  with  the  sight 
of  answered  prayers  and  fulfilled  desires.  I  hope  now  to  lie 
down  among  you,  and  rest  till  the  Master  comes  and  bids  us 
rise  to  meet  Him.  And  oh  !  my  desire  is,  that  we  might  all 
rise  rejoicing  and  singing  together  our  song  of  triumph,  "  O 
death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  "  Ah, 
friends,  love  not  the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are  in  the 
world.  How  poor  will  all  appear  in  that  day  when  they  are 
passing  away  as  a  dream  of  the  night,  and  when  only  that 


PRA  YER  UNION  CIRCULAR.  295 

Saviour  will  be  precious  who  is  now  standing  at  your  door,  and 
pressing  himself  on  your  acceptance  ! 

'  In  name  of  my  friends  and  fellow-labourers,  I  entreat,  I 
beseech  you  not  to  let  this  season  of  mercy  pass  unimproved  ; 
night  and  day  we  pray  for  you. — Believe,  very  affectionately 
yours,  '  John  Milne. 

'  Perth,  31^  August  1S60.' 

He  drew  up  also  a  prayer  union  circular,  with  this  sen- 
tence prefixed  :  '  Perhaps  something  of  this  kind  might  do 
for  next  week,  if  the  brethren  think  good.' 

'  Monday. — India. 

'  Tuesday. — Read  John  xiv.  15-18,  and  John  xvi.  7-15.  Pray 
for  the  Spirit  as  the  Comforter ;  the  Spirit  of  truth,  the  remem- 
brancer, the  sanctifier,  the  convincer  of  the  world,  the  glorifier 
of  Christ  ;  as  the  Spirit  of  power,  enabling  to  testify,  inclin- 
ing to  testify,  so  that  we  cannot  hold  our  peace.  Pray  for  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  the  unity  of  the  Spirit. 

'  Wednesday. — Read  Ps.  cxliv.  Pray  for  our  own  town. 
Confess  prevalent  sins,  growing  sins,  open  sins.  Pray  for 
magistrates,  that  they  may  be  on  the  side  of  God,  opposing 
evil  and  encouraging  good.  Pray  for  employers,  that  they 
may  be  considerate  like  Boaz ;  and  for  servants,  that  they  may 
be  diligent  and  faithful,  serving  the  Lord.  Pray  for  the  rich, 
that  they  may  be  liberal ;  and  for  the  poor,  that  they  may  seek 
things  above.  Pray  for  the  City  Mission,  Young  Men's  Tract 
Society,  all  young  men's  associations,  all  soul-gatherers,  all 
visitors  of  the  sick.  Pray  that  temptations  and  stumbling- 
blocks  may  be  taken  out  of  the  way,  and  that  the  Lord  may 
visit  us  again,  and  make  Perth  a  city  of  righteousness. 

'  Thursday. — Read  Ezek.  xxxiv.  11-31.  Pray  for  our  con- 
gregations. Pray  for  ministers,  elders,  deacons,  district  visi- 
tors, schools,  Bible  classes.  Pray  for  a  blessing  on  Sabbath 
work,  communion  services.  Pray  for  unity,  peace,  growing 
"love ;  that  we  may  watch  over  one  another,  help  one  another, 


296  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

pray  for  one  another.  Pray  that  the  work  of  conversion  and 
edification  may  be  ever  going  on  among  us.  Pray  that  our 
churches  may  be  missionary,  aggressive,  seeking  to  win  the 
unsaved  at  home  and  abroad. 

'  Friday. — Read  Col.  iii.  12-25,  and  iv.  I.  Pray  for  our  fami- 
lies, that  our  houses  may  be  Bethels,  our  closets  Peniels  ;  that 
fathers  may  be  like  Abrahams,  mothers  like  the  mother  of 
Moses,  of  Samuel,  of  Timothy  ;  that  children  may  grow  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  seeking  early  the 
good  part ;  that  servants  may  do  all  things  without  murmur- 
ings  or  disputings,  serving  the  Lord,  and  like  the  little 
maid  in  Naaman's  house.  Pray  that  our  dwellings  may  be 
little  churches,  where  the  world's  ways  and  fashions  and  vain 
amusements  shall  never  find  a  lodgment. 

'  Saturday. — Read  John  xvii.  Give  thanks  for  this  season 
of  prayer.  Confess  its  sins  and  shortcomings.  Pray  for  the 
whole  Church  of  God,  the  whole  family  of  our  Father  in  heaven, 
the  whole  flock  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  Pray  for  beloved,  but 
still  outcast  Israel.  Pray  for  a  special  blessing  to-morrow,  that 
we  may  be  as  John  at  Patmos,  that  the  Lord  may  bless  the 
provision.' 

The  time  of  special  blessing  may  be  said  to  have  begun 
on  the  last  day  of  the  open-air  meetings.  In  the  City 
Hall  meeting  that  night  there  was  profound  solemnity,  as 
if  God  were  working,  and  many  were  aroused.  At  the 
close,  it  was  announced  that  a  meeting  would  be  held 
next  evening  in  Free  St.  Leonard's.  Next  morning  Mr. 
Moody  Stuart  suggested  that  the  meeting  should  rather 
be  held  in  the  City  Hall.  Mr.  Milne  gladly  accepted  the 
proposal,  went  and  engaged  the  Hall,  issued  placards, 
informed  the  other  ministers,  and  made  necessary  arrange- 
ments. Mr.  Moody  Stuart  agreed  to  remain  and  take 
part.     Seven  o'clock  came  \  the  Hall  was  crowded ;  the 


CITY  HALL  MEETINGS.  297 

audience  were  deeply  impressed,  and  showed  reluctance 
to  separate ;  some  bowed  down  under  a  sense  of  sin, 
others  filled  with  joy.  The  meetings  and  the  crowds  con- 
tinued for  seventy  consecutive  nights  ;  and  the  depth  as 
well  as  extent  of  spiritual  quickening  seemed  very  great — 
greater,  even,  than  at  the  solemn  conference-gatherings  of 
later  years.  '  Many  were  added  to  the  Church ;'  the  dead 
in  sin  were  raised  ;  the  living  were  replenished  with  more 
abundant  life.  Each  day  at  noon  a  meeting  for  prayer 
was  held,  and  arrangements  for  the  evening  made.  Mr. 
Milne  was  able  to  attend  the  whole  of  these  noon 
meetings,  and  the  greater  number  of  the  evening  ones, 
being  always  the  last  to  leave  the  Hall.  He  was  occupied 
from  morning  to  night;  sometimes  corresponding  with 
brethren  ;  sometimes  making  needful  preparations  ;  some- 
times smoothing  down  asperities,  or  giving  explanations 
to  parties,  who  might  think  themselves  slighted.  For  the 
last  of  these  offices,  no  man  was  more  fitted.  The  Bread- 
albane  banquet  at  last  brought  these  meetings  to  a  close, 
the  Hall  being  required  for  it. 

Two  gentlemen  were  visitors  in  Perth  during  these 
memorable  ten  weeks, — Christian  men  from  India,  but  not 
quite  satisfied  with  what  they  had  heard  of  such  work. 
One  of  them,  not  in  the  habit  of  speaking  to  others  on 
religion,  got  his  lips  unsealed,  and  became  so  interested 
that  he  began  to  talk  to  the  children  around  him,  and 
to  point  them  to  the  cross.  He  left,  thanking  God  for 
what  he  had  seen  and  heard. 

Many  were  the  accessions  to  the  membership  of  the 
churches  at  this  time ;  and  these  added  ones  have  been 


298  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

tested  by  time  and  proved  genuine.  At  the  following 
Christmas  the  Guizard  boys,  instead  of  singing  their  usual 
songs,  took  to  singing  'Rest  for  the  Wear}','  'Christ  for 
Me,'  and  other  hymns; — as  maybe  supposed,  to  Mr.  Milne's 
great  delight. 

Those  who  have  been  with  him  at  such  times  as  these, 
know  and  can  tell  the  joy  that  spoke  out  in  his  words, 
and  shone  out  in  his  face,  as  day  by  day  brought  him  fresh 
news  of  the  work  of  God. 

At  Dunkeld,  that  same  year,  meetings  were  held  in  Mi. 
Macpherson's  church,  not  without  blessing.  Mr.  Milne 
took  part  in  them.  His  methods  of '  beating  up '  for  a 
congregation  were  too  peculiar  and  too  characteristic,  not 
to  be  given  somewhat  in  detail.  There  were  some  five 
or  six  ministers  expected  to  take  part.  After  dinner  at  a 
friend's  house  a  little  out  of  town,  Mr.  Milne  asks  them  to 
come  by  themselves  to  his  room,  where  he  calls  on  one 
after  another  to  pray.  This  done,  they  set  out  for  the 
meeting.  On  the  road,  before  entering  the  town,  they 
meet  a  company  of  masons  returning  home.  Mr.  M.  stops 
them,  tells  them  of  the  meeting,  its  place  and  hour,  invites 
them,  and  lest  any  of  them  should  complain  of  the  half- 
penny pontage,  takes  out  his  purse,  and  hands  them  a  six- 
pence. They  yield  to  his  invitation  and  come.  But  a 
number  of  young  women  are  seen  coming  along  the  road 
from  their  work.  Mr.  M.  stops  them,  speaks  with  them, 
invites  them  ;  but  does  not  succeed.  By  this  time  the 
hour  of  meeting  has  arrived,  and  Mr.  M.  is  reminded  of 
this.  '  Let  us  run,  then,'  he  replies,  and  quickens  his  pace. 
But  when  proceeding  at  quick  pace,  they  meet  a  gentle- 


DUNKELD  MEETINGS.  299 

man  enjoying  his  walk.  Too  late  as  he  is,  Mr.  Milne 
cannot  pass  him.  Politely  lifting  his  hat  to  the  English 
stranger,  as  he  turned  out  to  be,  Mr.  M.  asks  if  he  is  aware 
of  the  meeting  in  the  town  to-night  ?  '  What  sort  of  meet- 
ing?' asks  the  stranger.  'A  religious  meeting,  and  a  most 
delightful  one  it  will  be.  Will  you  go  with  us?'  '  By  all 
means,'  said  the  traveller.  In  a  moment  Mr.  Milne's  arm 
is  linked  in  his,  and  they  are  hastening  to  church,  where 
the  stranger  sat  the  whole  time/a  deeply  interested  man.1 
To  this  period  of  blessing  all  over  the  district,  Mr. 
Milne  briefly  refers  in  the  following  entry  : — 

'■December  31,  i860. — I  look  back  upon  a  long  season  of  judg- 
ment and  mercy,  of  much  sin  on  my  part,  and  great  loving, 
kindness  on  the  part  of  the  Lord.  He  has  sent  from  above, 
and  drawn  me  out  of  many  waters.  It  has  been  a  year  of  much 
spiritual  blessing  to  the  town.  I  have  been  enabled  to  rise 
above  private  and  congregational  feelings,  and  to  seek  the 
general  good.  God  has  given  the  blessing,  by  pouring  out  on 
my  brethren  a  wonderful  spirit  of  love,  unity,  and  self-forget- 
fulness.  To  this  I  attribute  in  a  great  measure  the  large  and 
long-continued  blessing  which  has  been  vouchsafed.  In  1S40 
the  blessing  was  much  confined  to  my  own  congregation  ;  this 
year  it  has  been  general,  every  congregation  getting  a  measure 
of  good,  and  the  work  spreading  to  the  country  all  around.' 

1  Mr.  Macpherson  gives  a  reminiscence  of  a  later  visit  to  Dunkeld, 
in  the  autumn  of  1867  : — '  He  and  I  ascended  one  of  the  heights  near 
Dunkeld  (Newtyle  Hill).  On  reaching  the  outskirts  of  a  wood,  he  took 
out  his  pocket  Bible,  and  proposed  that  we  should  read  a  psalm,  and 
each  of  us  engage  in  prayer.  In  the  psalm  which  he  read  (which,  I 
regret,  I  cannot  recall),  was  the  text  from  which  he  first  preached  ; 
and  on  which  he  now  made  a  few  comments.  Much  nearness  to 
God,  intensified  by  the  mountain-solitude  and  the  beauty  of  the  scene, 
child-like  simplicity  and  intense  fervour,  marked  the  exercise.' 


300  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

'  January  4,  1861. — Peaceful  on  the  whole.  A  good  deal 
of  outward  work,  and  less  fellowship.  Hence  a  short  season 
of  darkness  and  temptation.  But  enabled  to  resist  and  believe  ; 
and  the  victory  has  come  ;  and  now,  help,  peace,  and  joy. 

'  Jan.  8th. — Some  changes,  but  generally  helped.  I  feel  that 
all  depends  on  faith  ;  near  Christ ;  preferring  Him  to  all ;  and 
doing  this  p?-actically  from  moment  to  moment, — this  is  peace, 
health,  and  life.  I  long  to  get  the  selfish  element  more  and 
more  removed.  It  is  the  sediment  that  darkens  and  defiles  the 
stream  of  life.  Oh  that  it  might  subside  more  and  more,  and 
disappear,  till  Christ  be  all  in  all, — motive,  power,  end !  Mary 
sat  at  Christ's  feet ;  and  then  we  find  her,  ere  long,  honouring 
Him  in  deed.  What  a  directory  for  every  day  :  sit  and  hear 
His  words,  choose  the  good  part,  and  then  go  forth  to  act  ! 

'  Jan.  loth. — Still  moving  on  quietly ;  but  feeling  the  need 
of  continual  watchfulness  and  prayer.  I  desire  growing  fel- 
lowship,— abiding  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  me.  How  import- 
ant, in  the  view  of  heaven,  are  the  daily,  hourly  occurrences  of 
this  life,  in  their  bearing  upon  the  work  of  God,  and  the  sanc- 
tification  and  comfort  of  His  people  !  Help  me  to  remember 
and  realize  this  more,  and  to  walk  softly. 

'  Wednesday,  23d  Jan. — We  have  had  a  very  comfortable 
communion.  My  desire  is  that,  as  a  people,  we  should  carry 
out  the  two  precepts— pray  without  ceasing,  and,  in  everything 
give  thanks.  Continual  prayer  would  prevail  with  God ;  con- 
tinual thanksgiving  would  prevail  with  man.  There  is  a  pro- 
mise of  coming  blessing ;  and  I  desire  to  expect  and  wait. 

'  March  2>d. — Sabbath  morning. — I  have  now  been  nearly  a 
week  confined  to  bed,  and  am  only  beginning  to  recover.  The 
time  has  passed  quietly  and  peacefully,  though  there  has  been 
much  pain.  I  feel  that  I  needed  this  taking  aside  and  break- 
ing down;  for,  as  usual,  I  was  getting  away  from  the  Lord, 
putting  work  for  Him  in  place  of  Himself.  It  is  kind  in  the 
Lord  to  arrest  the  poor  backslider  in  his  downward  course. 
He  sees  the  grey  hairs  here  and  there,  and  He  is  faithful  and 
loving;  and  so  interposes  at  once.     Friends  see  them  often, 


DEA  TH  OF  MR.   GRA  Y.  301 


but  false  kindness  or  indifference  keeps  them  silent  He  who 
spared  not  His  own  Son  in  working  out  salvation,  will  not 
spare  the  rod  in  applying  it  to  us.' 

On  the  21st  of  March  (1861)  he  thus  writes  to  Glasgow, 
in  reference  to  the  death  of  Mr.  Gray : — 

'  My  dear  Andrew, — I  am  obliged  for  your  kind  and  wel- 
come note.  Yes  ;  I  have  been  thinking  of  days  gone  by,  and 
the  time  when  we  used  to  live  and  labour  here,  an  unbroken, 
undivided  company.  But  it  is  all  well.  We  are  farther  on, 
and  drawing  near  the  shore.  We  see  eye  to  eye,  and  my 
desire  is  "Even  so  come."  It  was  in  the  end  of  the  week  that 
they  thought  of  having  a  third  sermon,  and  Mr.  Duncan  came 
to  ask  me  to  preach.  It  occurred  to  me  that  as  Dr.  Grierson 
and  Dr.  Candlish  would  likely  speak  of  his  public  life,  it  would 
be  better  for  me  to  say  a  word  or  two  of  his  private  life  and 
trials.  So  I  took  2  Cor.  xii.  7-9 :  "  There  was  given  me  a  thorn 
in  the  flesh."  The  idea  I  had  was  this,  Paul  a  great  worker, 
and  pattern  in  his  conversion,  but  a  pattern  also  in  the  dis- 
cipline to  which  God  subjected  him  after  conversion,  and  to 
which,  age  after  age,  he  subjects  those  of  His  servants  who 
resemble  Paul  in  character  and  work.  Then  the  heads  were 
— Paul  under  trial ;  Paul  seeking  deliverance  ;  Paul  joyfully 
acquiescing  in  his  dispensation.  The  thorn  I  regarded  as 
some  bodily  ailment  which  was  obvious  to  all  among  whom  he 
ministered,  which  hindered  him  in  his  work,  and  gave  enemies, 
spiritual  and  human,  opportunity  to  harass  him.  But  I  shall 
send  you  the  newspaper.  It  is  not  a  full  report,  for  I  had  not 
my  jottings  written  out  to  give  him.  One  thing  omitted  will 
interest  you.  On  the  Sabbath  after  his  last  return,  Mr.  Gray 
gave  out  the  psalm,  "  I  shall  not  die,  but  live."  He  expected 
to  recover.  But  before  the  end  of  the  year  this  hope  seems  to 
have  passed  from  his  mind.  Mr.  Turnbull,  who  knew  more  of 
his  mind  than  any,  permitted  me  to  tell  the  people  that  Mr. 
Gray,  for  months  before  his  death,  considered  himself  a  dying 
man.     He  put  himself  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  arranged 


302  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

his  earthly  affairs,  set  his  house  in  order,  and  from  that  time 
was  occupied  with  things  eternal,  resting  all  his  hope  simply 
on  the  finished  work  of  Christ.  When  he  broke  the  matter  to 
his  wife,  he  put  her  in  mind  of  the  psalm,  "  I  shall  not  die  ;" 
and  then  said,  "  We  must  change  the  text  now."' 

A  letter  omitted  in  its  proper  niche  may  be  inserted 
here,  as  similar  in  character  to  the  above.  It  is  written 
in  1848,  on  hearing  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Cormick  of 
Kirriemuir  : — 

'  Dear  Brother  Andrew, — This  is  a  sad  stroke.  Daniel 
taken  from  us  without  the  slightest  premonition.  I  had  never 
heard  that  he  was  ill ;  and  found  the  intimation  of  his  death 
when  I  came  down  this  morning.  It  is  some  time  since  we 
met,  in  consequence  of  my  reluctance  to  go  from  home  leading 
me  to  shift  to  another  time  his  invitations.  He  was  last  with 
me.  I  now  wish  I  had  been  more  with  him.  It  is  pleasant 
to  think  of  having  often  named  him  to  the  Lord.  Let  us  not 
weary  in  prayer,  but  watch  thereunto  with  all  perseverance. 
I  feel  smitten  a  good  deal  with  this  sudden  stroke.  Who  next? 
And  yet  we  dare  not  ask  him  back' 

The  journal  thus  proceeds  : — 

'  Saturday,  6th  April. — There  is  no  benefit  in  dwelling  too 
much  on  the  sins  of  the  past.  It  may  be  done  from  some  re- 
maining love  of  sin ;  and  this  is  to  be  abhorred.  Or  it  may 
be  from  unbelief,  not  realizing  the  completeness  and  enduring- 
ness  of  forgiveness ;  and  then  it  is  dishonouring  to  the  mercy 
of  God,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus.  We  should  be  seeking  to  live 
as  those  who  are  free  from  condemnation,  who  have  come  out 
and  are  separate,  who  are  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord 
Almighty,  members  of  the  heavenly  family,  though  not  yet  at 
home.  We  should  seek  to  become  daily  more  and  more  sen- 
sible of  the  least  sin,  and  more  and  more  careful  to  avoid  it, 
and  thus  we  shall  become  more  and  more  sensible  of  sin 
around  us,  and  concerned  for  its  removal 


HOME,  HOME!  303 


'  Monday,  Nov.  4I/1. — Still  moving  on  in  the  enjoyment  of 
many  mercies.  There  has  been  some  sickness,  and,  for  a 
time,  cause  to  fear  the  return  of  old  and  trying  ailments.  But 
it  is  passed,  and  I  have  been  able  to  go  on  with  my  work. 
The  love  of  sin  is  still  in  the  members,  and  is  ever  working; 
and  I  think  wistfully  of  the  power  of  Christ's  death  as  a  means 
of  greater  deliverance,  even  here.  Lord,  instruct  me  more 
fully  in  this.  All  things  are  of  God,  and  He  will  perfect  that 
which  concerneth  me.' 

To  some  part  of  this  period  the  following  undated 
letter  to  Mr.  Cowan  refers  : — 

'  Monday  morning. — My  dear  Brother, — I  was  unable  to 
venture  out  last  night,  but  the  servants  told  me  that  it  was 
a  very  nice  meeting.  Thank  you  for  the  inbeing  and  indwell- 
ing yesterday.  The  former  term  was  new  to  me,  but  it  is 
very  good.  There  is  always  life  and  outflow  when  Christ  is 
brought  in.  .  .  .  Charlie  is  off  this  morning.1  How  thankful 
I  am  that  I  have  not,  like  him,  to  begin  life  !  Home !  home ! 
now,  is  the  hope  and  the  cry.' 

To   another  he   writes,   about    this  time,   when   from 

home : — 

1  We  made  an  inroad  on  Mrs. ,  and  got  into  a  most 

animated  conversation  with  her  and  another  lady,  on  revivals ; 
in  the  course  of  which  I  took  out  my  Bible,  and  read  the  valley 
of  dry  bones,  with  comments ;  and  all  this  in  the  library  ! 
Wasn't  it  atrocious  ?' 

In  1862  he  has  a  few  brief  entries  : — 

'March  i$th. — Thursday  evening. — I  wish  more  of  habitual 
fellowship.  I  find  that  the  Lord  is  willing  to  meet  me  when  I 
seek  Him,  to  check  me  when  I  err.  I  wish  not  to  be  pre- 
occupied with  other  things,  so  as  not  to  notice  His  presence, 


304  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

remark  His  guidings,  or  miss  His  absence.  .  .  .  April  6th. — ■ 
Sabbath  evening. — Helped  last  Sabbath  at  Monzie  and  Comrie, 
and  also  to-day;  but  failed  during  the  week  to  live  upon  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  There  must  be  a  higher  and 
more  stedfast  life  than  the  generality  seem  to  live.  I  have  seen 
some  who  seemed  to  have  got  into  it ;  a  life  of  faith,  a  kind  of 
heavenly  life  on  earth.  Let  me  be  trying  after  this.  .  .  .  April 
I2>th. — Communion  Sabbath.  Have  had  much  help  and  com- 
fort. So  also  had  Mr.  Cowan.  We  work  most  harmoniously  to- 
gether ;  never,  from  the  beginning  till  now,  the  slightest  shadow 
of  a  difference,  either  in  opinion  or  way.     Praise  the  Lord  ! ' 

The  following  are  a  few  miscellaneous  and  fragmentary 
extracts  from  letters  of  1862  : — 

'  Going  to  the  Infirmary,  a  number  of  women  were  sitting  on 
a  high  wall,  and  a  man  was  parading  before  them,  and  they 
were  making  a  great  noise.  I  said,  "  Take  care,  you  are  like 
a  city  set  on  a  hill."  "  Hech,  sirs,"  said  one  of  them,  "  that's 
true,"  and  they  were  quite  still. 

'  Last  night  I  came  upon  a  group  of  grown-up  lads  in  High 
Street,  making  a  nice-looking  dog  stand  on  his  hind  legs  and 
beg.  He  looked  tired.  I  put  my  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of 
the  one  that  was  conducting  the  operations,  and  said,  "  That's 
a  very  nice  dog,  and  he  does  it  very  well ;  but  should  you  not 
let  him  rest  on  God's  day?"  They  seemed  taken  aback;  but 
one  of  them  said,  "  It's  quite  right,  sir,  we  should." 

'  Last  evening  I  strolled  to  the  station.  At  the  further  end 
I  found  two  young  men  who  were  commencing  their  night 
watch.  I  spoke  a  little  about  the  vicissitudes  of  the  place — 
one  moment  crowded  and  full  of  bustle,  and  then  silent,  and 
feeling  quite  alone.  He  said,  "  I  have  often  thought  of  that." 
I  said  there  is  another  way  by  which  we  must  go  alone — no 
one  can  go  with  us.  He  started,  but  said,  "  I  see."  I  took 
his  hand  and  talked  a  little  to  him.  He  wrung  my  hand  most 
warmly  at  parting. 

{ I  think  I  feel  that  to  be  continually  nothing  is  the  happiest 


FRAGMENTS.  305 


state.  We  are  then  like  vessels  purged  and  meet  for  the 
Master's  use.  I  wish  we  were  like  the  skins  or  parchment  of 
monkish  days,  where  they  blotted  out  one  writing  to  make 
way  for  another. 

'  I  think  we  should  seek  and  reckon  upon  the  Lord's  guid- 
ance and  help  in  everything,  however  small.  We  are  to  glorify 
Him  in  all  we  do,  and  we  cannot  do  this  without  His  help. 

'  I  think  there  should  be  a  constant  re-tinue — a  holding  in  and 
holding  back  of  what  is  our  own.  The  world  likes  impulse, — 
naturalness  as  it  is  called, — and  you  know  somebody  that  likes 
it  too.  But  I  think  the  Lord  is  teaching  me  to  distrust  it.  The 
world  calls  those  who  keep  their  feelings  in  check  cold  and 
stiff ;  but  the  Lord  says,  "  Watch  and  pray."  In  heaven  there 
will  be  no  need  for  restraint.' 

There  is  a  brief  entry  of  March  24,  1863,  which  I  ex- 
tract, because  it  carries  on  Mr.  Milne's  spiritual  history : — 

'  Am  I  counting  all  things  loss  for  Christ  ?  Am  I  dwelling 
in  the  secret  place  ?  Should  I  be  glad  if  Christ  came  now  ? 
I  desire  to  be  often,  during  the  day,  trying  myself  by  these 
questions.  Lord,  help.  ...  I  need  a  continual  death  and  a 
continual  enlivening.' 

In  this  same  year  he  sends  this  note  to  Mr.  Cowan : — 

'  My  dear  Brother, — I  enclose  a  note  of  Andrew  Bonar's. 
It  gives  a  pleasant  definition  of  your  name  {Cohen,  the  Hebrew 
for  priest),  better  than  the  Celtic  one  Chow,  or  Gow,  which 
connects  you  with  the  world-wide  family  of  Smiths.  I  have 
answered  it ;  so  keep  it,  and  perhaps  it  may  help  some  future 
biographer  who  is  inquiring  into  your  primordia  rerum.  I  am 
not  up  to  the  mark  to-day ;  but  you  know  I  will  work  as  long 
as  I  am  able  to  stand.  I  seek  to  rest  upon  "  my  strength  is 
made  perfect  in  weakness." ' 

From  the  beginning  of  i860,  till  the  autumn  of  1866, 
he  was  in  almost  full  work,  in  excellent  health,  and  joyful 

U 


3o5  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

in  spirit.     Of  this  period,  however,  the  records  are  scanty. 
On  the  xst  of  January  1864,  he  writes  : — 

'  The  past  year  has  been  one  of  unusual,  peaceful,  and  equal 
character.  There  have  been  few  weakenings  of  strength  and 
few  sinkings  of  spirit.  There  have  been  many  lessons  and 
keepings.  I  look  back  thankfully  on  the  meetings  in  January ; 
our  stay  at  Burntisland  in  June  ;  the  communion  at  Stirling  ; 
the  conference  in  September ;  and  a  visit  to  Montrose  and 
Ferryden  in  the  same  month.  I  still  feel  that  my  besetting 
sin  is  unbelief.  I  long  for  obedience  to  that  word,  "  Cleanse 
yourselves  from  all  filthiness,"  etc.  Our  corrupt  nature  either 
cleaves  to  the  dust  or  soars  in  the  clouds  of  vanity  and  high- 
mindedness.  I  pray  that  this  may  be  a  year  more  peaceful 
and  equal  than  the  past.  Keep  me  near  Thee — Thy  death, 
life,  blood,  and  word.  For  a  week  or  two  I  have  been  feeble  ; 
but  I  find  that  the  Lord  thus  prepares  me  for  some  new  en- 
largement ;  so  I  try  to  wait  in  faith  and  patience.' 

On  the  5th  of  this  same  month  he  speaks  of  weakness 
and  sleeplessness,  yet  of  help ;  and  notices  the  difference 
between  his  attempts  to  keep  himself  and  his  being  kept 
by  the  power  of  God.  He  sees  deliverance  only  in  the 
blood  of  Jesus.  It  alone  opens  our  way  to  God,  and  shuts 
Satan's  way  to  us.  He  speaks  of  '  quiet  trust ;'  and  then 
again,  of  the  evil  of  self:  *  How  wretched  to  be  thrusting 
our  shadow  upon  poor,  perishing  men,  and  preventing 
their  looking  to  God  ! '  Many  of  his  remarks  remind  us  of 
the  words  of  old  Fraser  of  Brae,  regarding  himself  and  his 
ministry.  '  I  perceive  that  I  am  bound  to  another  kind  of 
life  than  the  rest  of  the  world;  to  be  holy  in  another 
manner  than  they ;  that  as  the  Lord  had  set  me  in  a  more 
eminent  place,  so  I  should  be  more  eminent  in  holiness.' 
He  longs  '  so  to  put  on  Christ  that  He  only  may  be  seen,' 


CHRIST S  SECOND  COMING.  307 

'  I  believe  it  is  so,'  he  adds,  '  when  I  come  to  God,  else  I 
could  have  no  access ;  and  now  I  desire  it  may  be  so  in 
all  my  dealings  with  my  fellow-men.  How  much  has  my 
life  been  lost  and  embittered  in  endeavouring  to  be  some- 
thing in  the  eyes  of  men,  knowing  all  the  while  that  the 
image  I  wished  to  set  up  before  them  was  not  my  real, 
conscious  self,  but  only  what  I  should  like  them  to  think 
me  to  be  !  What  a  miserable  ungodliness,  deceitfulness, 
and  selfishness  there  has  been  in  all  this,  walking  in  a  vain 
show !  I  seek  now  to  be  delivered  from  this  vain  conversa- 
tion by  the  power  of  the  Lamb's  blood.  It  will  need  much 
watching,  prayer,  self-recollection,  and  living  and  walking 
in  the  Spirit.  But  it  can  be  done  by  Him  who  maketh  all 
things  new.  I  should  like  this  week  to  be  much  in  spirit 
with  the  brethren  who  are  meeting  in  Freemasons'  Hall, 
London,  to  confer  regarding  the  Lord  coming.  I  thought 
it  better  not  to  go,  though  invited,  partly  because  I  felt 
that  I  was  only  a  beginner  on  the  subject.  I  believe  there 
was  unbelief  in  this,  and  unwillingness  to  go  where  I  could 
not  be  something.  May  I  be  forgiven.  But  the  Lord 
can  make  it  up  to  me  and  bless  me  here,  and  use  me, 
if  He  see  good,  in  some  other  way,  and  at  some  other 
time.  They  have  sent  me  a  list  of  the  subjects  to  be 
considered  night  after  night,  and  I  feel  that  it  would  have 
been  very  blessed  to  be  there,  and  to  meet  with  these 
loving,  gracious  men.  But  I  feel  that  I  should  have  been 
carried  away  and  lifted  up,  and  I  believe  it  is  better  for 
me  to  be  here,  learning  in  quiet  and  silence.  One  thought 
has  been  occurring  to  me.  Looking  back  on  the  New 
Testament  revivals,  I  think  I  see  a  watchword  in  each: 


308  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

first,  The  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand ;  second,  The  resur- 
rection of  the  Lord ;  third,  Justification  by  faith  without 
works;  fourth.  Regeneration  by  the  Spirit;  fifth,  The 
power  of  prayer  and  immediate  salvation  on  closing  with 
Christ.  What  if  the  next  watchword  should  be  a  return  to 
the  first  one,  "  The  Lord  is  at  hand,  the  time  is  short !"  .  .  . 
Thursday,  jth. — I  have  written  to  Mr.  Robert  Baxter,  sug- 
gesting a  wide  circulation  of  the  reports  of  their  meeting, 
and  the  possibility  that  the  next  revival  watchword  may 
be  "  The  Lord  is  at  hand ;"  and  thus  the  Lord  may  shake 
the  world,  and  beat  out  of  it  what  remains  of  the  fulness 
of  the  Gentiles.  .  .  .  Friday,  8th. — Temptation,  but  rest 
in  Christ.  Reading  D'Aubigne's  Calvin.  Find  it  quicken^ 
ing  and  strengthening.  There  is  a  stream  of  life  running 
through  it.  I  see  that  some  of  my  brethren  suspect  the 
doctrine  of  Christ's  near  approach.  There  is  much  bigotry 
even  in  good  men.  They  judge  and  condemn  without 
inquiring,  and  act  unconsciously  in  the  very  spirit  of 
Popery.  I  ask  help  to  rest  more  simply  and  wholly  on 
Christ,  as  complete  in  Him,  and  to  mortify  and  deny  the 
flesh  at  all  times  and  in  all  forms.' 

'Jan.  nth. — Monday. — Feeble;  but  helped  in  preaching 
yesterday.  There  is  a  reluctance  to  be  nothing  ;  but  help  me 
to  obey  Thy  word,  denying  myself  and  looking  up  to  the  cross. 
It  is  only  the  blood  that  makes  to  overcome.' 

In  another  entry  he  speaks  of  '  forgetting  to  watch  and 
pray,  and  so  gave  way  to  hastiness?  Hastiness,  in  the  sense 
of  sudden  impulse,  he  did  give  way  to ;  but  hastiness  in 
the  usual  sense  of  sudden  anger  he  did  not  know,  or,  at 
least,  others  never  saw.     He  was  so  gentle  that  it  was 


NO T  SOON  ANGR  V.  309 

difficult  to  imagine  him  provoked.  I  used  sometimes  to 
say  to  him,  '  When  were  you  last  angry  ? '  He  smiled,  and 
assured  me  that  he  really  could  be  angry.  I  asked  the 
time  and  the  occasion.  He  could  not  say ;  but  mentioned 
something,  many  years  ago,  in  connection  with  the  beadle's 
neglect  of  duty  which  had  much  annoyed  him.  Mrs.  Milne 
tells  me  that  the  only  time  when  she  saw  him  at  all  angry, 
was  when  the  servant  had  neglected  to  deliver  a  message 
concerning  some  case  of  sickness,  which  he  thought  ought 
to  have  been  attended  to  immediately.  With  the  amount 
of  strong  feeling  and  excitement  that  was  in  him,  it  is 
amazing  how  little  of  'hastiness'  he  exhibited,  how  en- 
tirely loving-kindness  had  overcome  all  wrath.  The  next 
day  he  writes :  '  Feeble,  but  not  fretted  nor  impatient. 
Thy  will,  O  Lord,  is  best.  Let  me  rest  in  Thee.  Draw 
me  more  and  more  to  Thyself.  I  long  to  get  more  into 
the  mind  of  Christ.'  And  then,  again,  he  adds :  '  Still 
feeble;  longing  for  revival;  yet  rest  in  the  thought  that 
Christ  is  full  of  life.'  I  find  several  references  to  his 
Sabbath  preparations  on  early  days  of  the  week,  such  as 
Wednesday.  He  was  strikingly  conscientious  in  prepar- 
ing for  the  pulpit.  This  is  the  more  to  be  noted  be- 
cause he  both  thought  and  spoke  easily ;  and  could,  more 
than  most,  have  done  extempore  work.  But  he  was  careful 
about  his  Sabbath  services.  No  sooner  was  one  Sabbath's 
work  over  than  he  began  thinking,  reading,  studying,  pray- 
ing about  the  next.  He  did  not,  during  his  early  years, 
write  his  sermons  in  full,  though  he  always  prepared  them 
thoroughly;  but  afterwards  he  wrote  them  more  fully, 
though  he  never  read.     He  first  himself  fed  on  the  bread, 


3io  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

and  then  he  set  to  making  it  ready  for  others.  Those 
that  were  much  with  William  Burns  in  the  work  at  Dun- 
dee and  Perth  will  remember  this  in  his  case.  He  did 
not  write  his  discourses,  but  he  prepared  them  more  than 
many  who  did.  In  one  of  his  visits  to  Kelso,  he  preached 
several  evenings  in  succession.  I  asked  him  one  forenoon 
what  he  meant  to  give  us  in  the  evening.  '  I  don't  know ; 
I  have  not  yet  got  a  morsel  for  my  own  soul.'  It  was 
with  Mr.  Milne  as  with  him.  They  first  steeped  their  own 
spirits  in  the  word,  and  then  they  put  it  in  shape  for  others. 
This  is  the  truest  process  of  elaboration.  And  in  reading 
Mr.  Milne's  journals,  we  are  struck  with  the  numerous 
references,  every  day  of  the  week,  both  to  the  past  and 
the  coming  Sabbath.  His  Sabbath  work  was  constantly 
before  his  eyes;  and  the  results  of  that  Sabbath  work 
upon  the  souls  of  his  people  were  matter  of  prayer,  day 
and  night,  without  ceasing.  After  writing  one  Wednesday 
about  help  in  preparing  for  Sabbath,  he  adds  :  '  I  wish  to 
pray  more  in  faith  and  love  for  the  congregation.  I  think 
there  is  something  moving  among  them,  which,  if  fanned 
and  cherished,  may  come  to  a  flame ;  Lord  Jesus,  help  ! ' 1 

1 1  remember  once  being  the  means  of  disconcerting  him  about  his 
Sabbath  preparations.  One  Saturday  evening,  before  a  communion  in 
his  own  church,  I  was  with  him  ;  and  after  special  prayer  in  reference 
to  the  next  day's  services,  I  asked  him  his  text.  He  told  me.  I  asked 
his  exposition  of  the  passage  and  the  arrangement  of  his  sermon.  He 
told  me,  and  added,  '  Won't  that  do  ?  '  I  said  that  the  sermon  was 
likely  to  be  all  that  it  ought ;  but  he  seemed  to  me  to  have  mistaken 
the  meaning  of  the  passage.  We  talked  over  it,  and  he  was  persuaded 
that  his  exposition  would  not  stand.  He  was  greatly  annoyed  that 
night  and  next  morning ;  and  though  he  preached  the  sermon,  he  was 
not  satisfied.     So  disconcerted,  however,  was  he  that  he  declared  he 


SLUMBERING  AND  SLEEPING. 


He  mentions  his  reading  in  the  second  chapter  of 
Judges, — Joshua's  death;  the  death  of  that  generation  of 
the  faithful ;  Israel's  forgetting  God  ;  and  adds,  '  God  has 
in  late  years  added  a  third  way  among  us.  Ministers  are 
laid  aside,  and  all  seems  going  asleep.  Will  the  Lord  raise 
up  men  again,  full  of  power  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  I 
know  not  in  what  form,  or  from  what  quarter ;  but  I  believe 
they  will  come.'  The  following  is  an  interesting  fragment 
from  his  journal,  of  January  27,  (1864) : — 

'  Living  quietly.  Yesterday,  languid  and  out  of  harness  ;  but 
a  little  help  at  night,  when  a  temptation,  resisted  and  ultimately 
overcome,  gave  new  light  and  strength.  Longing  for  liberty 
from  world  and  flesh  and  devil.  Only  walking  after  the  Spirit 
in  the  light,  and  dwelling  on  high,  can  give  it ;  the  Spirit  upon 
us,  as  it  was  on  Christ  (Isa.  xi.),  according  to  our  measure,  alone 
can  enable  us  to  break  through.  I  get  above  outward  and 
inward  entanglements.  I  have  been  thinking  of  the  parallel  in 
Rom.  viii., — the  "  bondage  of  the  corruption,"  and  the  "  liberty 
of  the  glory;"  for  this  is  the  right  rendering.  If  we  abode  in 
Christ,  we  should  be  strong  and  quiet,  and  not  be  preplexed  or 
at  a  loss  at  any  time.  I  take  this  cluster  of  truths  :  "  Be  still, 
and  know  that  I  am  God  ;  "  Stand  still,  and  see  the  salvation  of 
God;"  "He  who  believeth  shall  not  make  haste;"  "In return- 
ing and  rest  shall  ye  be  saved  ;"  "  Their  thought  is  to  sit  still;" 
"Is  not  the  Lord  gone  out  before  thee  ?"  said  Deborah  to  Barak. 
This  is  victory.  The  King  is  in  the  field.  I  have  been  longing 
for  a  more  simple,  unformal,  unconventional  way  of  stating  the 
gospel ;  so  that  God's  love  in  Christ  might  come  home  to  men, 
just  as  they  are  from  day  to  day, — in  the  house,  on  the  street,  in 

would  never  tell  his  text  again  beforehand  to  any  one  ;  and,  so  far  as 
I  was  concerned,  he  kept  his  word ;  always  refusing  to  tell  me  what 
he  was  going  to  preach  upon,  and  referring  to  the  annoyance  of  the 
above  Saturday  night. 


3i2  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

their  wealth  and  their  want,  and  even  in  sin.  We  find  it  in 
Titus  iii. :  "  We  ourselves,"  etc. ;  "  but  after  that  the  love  and 
kindness  of  God  our  Saviour,"  etc.  I  have  the  feeling  that  if 
we  could  live  in  the  light,  love,  and  liberty  of  Christ,  and  think 
of  nothing  but  spreading  and  extending  this  on  every  side,  it 
would  be  a  heaven  on  earth.  I  have  known  a  little  of  this  during 
the  days  which  I  have  seen  of  the  Son  of  man  ;  but  I  think  that 
I  did  not  use  it  rightly.  There  was  too  much  of  self,  of  natural 
enjoyment  and  exhilaration.  I  think  such  seasons  come  to  an 
end,  because  we  overlook  the  Author  of  them,  overvalue  the 
instruments,  are  not  sober  in  our  joy  and  hope,  do  not  watch, 
give  the  enemy  opportunity,  take  the  blessing  as  if  it  were  a 
matter  of  course,  lose  the  low,  adoring,  admiring  frame  with 
which  we  at  first  received  this  grace  of  God.  I  feel  the  truth 
of  that  word,  "If  the  salt  have  lost  its  savour."  If  we  are  to 
benefit  the  world,  we  must  be  different  from  it,  stronger  than  it, 
above  its  influences  ;  we  must  break  through  its  trammels,  and 
not  be  always  asking,  What  will  it  think  ?  What  will  it  say  ?  How 
can  I  keep  on  terms  with  it  ?  Let  me  watch  against  the  flesh. 
It  is  always  longing  for  great  things, — to  be  something,  to  be 
thought  of,  talked  of,  and  to  pride  itself  on  its  own  wisdom. 
But  I  wish  to  keep  to  my  measure,  and  not  to  stretch  myself 
beyond  it,  but  to  wait  on  the  Lord ;  and  if  He  saw  good  to 
enlarge  my  measure,  then  it  will  be  safe  and  blessed.  It  is 
the  divine  blessing  that  is  the  source  of  all  true  good.  He 
blessed  the  Sabbath-day.  Christ  blessed  the  bread  and  fishes  ; 
He  blessed  the  bread  and  wine  ;  He  blessed  the  little  company 
as  He  ascended.' 

A  few  fragments  are  all  that  I  find  during  the  records  of 
the  rest  of  this  year.  '  I  feel  as  if  the  kingdom  of  God 
were  coming  to  me.'  '  I  need  constant,  watching  prayer, 
and  looking  up.'  '  Need  a  constant  restoration,  and  hold- 
ing up.'  '  Gleams  of  something  better.'  '  How  good  to 
dwell  in  the  kingdom  ;  to  be  at  home  in  it ;  taken  up  with 


FRAGMENTS.  313 


its  interests!'  'The  Lord  is  working  in  me,  if  so  be  He 
will  work  by  me.'  '  It  seems  spiritually  to  be  a  low  time 
everywhere ;  my  "  strength  is  to  sit  still,"  to  take  heed,  to 
turn  from  self,  sin,  all  my  idols,  to  wait  for  His  Son  from 
heaven.'  '  Good  to  get  in  to  the  mind  of  Christ.'  '  Let 
Thy  secret  be  with  me ;  let  me  not  be  of  those  to  whom 
Thou  canst  not  commit  Thyself.'  '  Feeble,  but  sensible 
of  strength  not  my  own.'  '  It  is  the  Lord  in  His  free  love 
that  comes  to  us.'  '  Let  me  not  look  at  difficulties  and 
objections,  like  Zecharias,  but  to  the  word  of  promise.' 
'  More  cleaving  to  the  Lord.'  '  A  lesson  during  the  day : 
how  little  thoughtless  people  think  of  their  idle  words!' 
'  How  few  try  to  be  bands,  and  joints,  and  corner  stones ; 
trying  to  keep  all  together,  to  strengthen  and  uphold  the 
work  !'  'I  feel  a  measure  of  Thy  peace  which  passeth 
understanding.'  'Let  me  live  out  of  myself,  out  of  the 
world ;  the  telescope  ever  in  my  hand,  beholding  the  good 
and  glory  to  be  revealed.  Why  seek  the  living  among  the 
dead?'  'Ups  and  downs  spiritually;  conflicts,  falls,  de- 
liverances. The  Lord  hath  mercy,  and  so  I  continue.  We 
have  had  very  much  sickness,  and  many  deaths  in  the  con- 
gregation since  the  beginning  of  the  year.  We  need  greatly 
a  time  of  blessing  and  increase.  We  go  to  London  this 
week  (May  2d).  Lord,  lead  and  keep  me  in  Thy  highway. 
I  am  utter  weakness ;  but  strengthen,  keep,  uphold.'1 
I  notice  frequent  allusions  in  his  journal  to  his  classes. 

1  Travelling  in  a  train  (1864),  he  writes  afterwards  : — 'A  news-boy 
was  sorting  his  papers ;  I  said,  "  I  have  a  newspaper  that  never  grows 
old."  He  looked  up  with  such  an  amazed,  inquiring  face,  "  What's 
that  ?"     I  took  out  my  little  Bible,  and  the  poor  boy  felt  it.' 


3i4  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

In  these  he  took  great  interest.  He  had  great  influence 
among  the  young  men  ;x  and  had,  by  his  kind  yet  manly 
address,  a  way  of  winning  and  attaching  them,  which  few 
seem  to  understand.  He  made  a  point  of  becoming 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  them;  and  he  entered  most 
fully  into  all  their  plans  and  prospects.  He  was  so 
obliging  that  there  was  nothing  he  would  not  do  for  them, 
either  temporally  or  spiritually.  He  was  delighted  to  be 
the  '  servant  of  all.' 

I  remember  his  class  of  young  men,  in  the  early  days  of 
his  work.  It  was  a  most  interesting  assembly,  amounting, 
even  down  to  the  last  days  of  his  ministry,  to  about  a 
hundred.  Interest,  intelligence,  and  warm  feeling  were 
marked  on  every  face.  His  young  women's  class  was  no 
less  largely  attended.  Both  of  these  yielded  much  fruit, 
year  after  year.  And  down  to  the  very  last,  his  own  in- 
terest in  them  remained  fresh  and  fervent.  It  is  not  often 
that  we  find,  at  the  close  of  a  thirty  years'  work,  as  intense 
a  glow  of  love  and  zeal  as  at  the  beginning.  Yet  so  it  was 
here. 

In  reference  to  these  classes,  Mr.  Mackie  writes  the 
following  statement  from  Warrington,  June  n,  1868  : — 

'As  one  of  the  young  men  of  the  revival  period  of  1 840-1-2, 
I  can  say  that  the  decease  of  Mr.  Milne  evokes  the  most  im- 
portant reminiscences.  To  him,  and  to  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Burns, 
scores  of  the  young  men  of  Perth  owe  all  that  made  them  men 
and  Christians.  Never  can  I  forget  the  urgent  and  impressive 
exhortations  he  gave  us  in  his  Bible  class,  to  be  diligent  in 

1  In  one  of  his  diaries,  there  is  this  petition,  •  Lord,  direct  me  to  the 
way  of  obtaining  influence  with  young  men.' 


UNWEARIED  IN  WORK.  315 

business  as  well  as  fervent  in  spirit.  ...  I  well  remember 
him  saying,  at  the  time  of  the  revivals,  that  when  the  first 
news  of  those  at  Kelso  reached  him,  he  was  a  minister  at  Aber- 
deen ;  and  when,  soon  after,  he  opened  Old  St.  Leonard's  to 
Mr.  Burns,  and  saw  him  run  after  by  crowds,  he  felt  the  com- 
mon feelings  of  humanity.  But  he  said  that  he  endeavoured 
to  be  content,  and  let  the  Lord  choose  His  own  instruments  ; 
that  contentment  was  to  him  great  gain.  He  was  a  chosen 
vessel  to  carry  the  gospel  to  many,  in  those  days,  in  Perth.' 

Throughout  his  diary,  both  in  India  and  in  Scotland,  we 
find  constantly  recurring  references  to  his  work.  It  was 
more  to  him  than  his  daily  food.  '  Some  men,'  it  has  been 
said, '  only  work  enough  to  prove  that  they  are  unwilling  to 
work.'  Half  an  hour  with  Mr.  Milne  would  have  satisfied 
you  how  much  the  reverse  of  this  it  was  with  him.  '  You 
know  I  like  to  work,'  are  his  words  in  a  letter  to  a  friend ; 
and,  certainly,  no  one  who  had  been  an  hour  with  him 
would  question  the  statement.  Above  most  men  he  loved 
to  work,  he  delighted  in  his  work.  To  be  idle  was  irksome. 
To  be  restrained  from  working  was  that  which  most  tried 
his  patience.  In  season  and  out  of  season  he  would  work. 
He  would  preach,  or  visit,  or  give  away  tracts,  or  do  some 
loving  deeds,  or  speak  some  loving  words.  He  would 
throw  himself  in  the  way  of  work  ;  and  you  could  not  do 
him  a  greater  favour  than  asking  him  to  do  some  piece  of 
Christian  service,  of  any  kind,  or  to  any  person.  He  was 
strong  in  body,  his  only  weak  part  being  his  head  ;  and  he 
could  undergo  an  immense  amount  of  fatigue. 

That  at  times  he  did  far  too  much,  and  took  too  little 
rest,  was  often  evident,  as  we  have  already  seen ;  but  he 
rallied  wonderfully.     Unless  when  his  head  was  oppress- 


316  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

ing  him,  he  was  most  buoyant  and  untiring.  His  alertness 
of  motion  and  upright  elastic  form — though  under  the 
middle  size — as  he  moved  along,  always  gave  the  impres- 
sion that  his  life  was  that  of  one  in  earnest,  of  one  who 
had  a  great  work  to  do,  and  little  time  to  do  it  in. 

He  went  to  London,  as  the  last  sentence  quoted  from 
his  journal  intimates,  in  May  1864 ;  and  while  there,  he  met 
with  an  '  accident '  which  had  well-nigh  brought  death  with 
it.  His  escape  was  marvellous,  recalling  Ps.  xci.  1 1  :  '  He 
shall  give  His  angels  charge  concerning  thee,  to  keep  thee  in 
all  thy  ways.  They  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands,  lest 
thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone.'  He  was  walking  with 
a  Christian  friend  in  Eaton  Place,  in  pleasant  conversa- 
tion on  eternal  things,  and  had  just  stepped  off  the  pave- 
ment to  cross  the  street,  when  a  butcher's  cart  dashed 
round  the  corner  and  threw  down  both  of  them.  Capt. 
Chapman  was  thrown  to  a  little  distance ;  but  Mr.  Milne 
fell  under  the  horse's  feet.  Before  the  wheels  had  touched 
him  the  driver  had  pulled  back  the  horse  ;  but  this,  while 
it  saved  him  from  the  wheels,  brought  the  horse  back  over 
him  a  second  time.  One  of  the  wheels  had  been  arrested 
by  his  right  thigh,  with  which  it  had  come  into  contact, 
and  in  which  it  had  inflicted  a  broad  and  deep  wound, 
appalling  to  look  upon,  the  flesh  protruding ;  but  the  bone 
was  unbroken.  There  were  hoof  marks  on  one  of  his 
hands,  the  fingers  being  greatly  bruised,  and  also  on  his 
right  cheek,  about  an  inch  from  the  eye ;  and  I  remember 
his  telling  me  that  the  last  recollection  he  had,  when  thus 
lying  on  the  street,  was  of  the  hoof  coming  down  upon 
his  cheek.    He  was  taken  up  insensible,  carried  into  a 


L  ONDON  A  CCIDENT.  3 1 7 


shop  hard  by,  and  soon  after  taken  to  his  lodgings  in  a 
cab,  having  by  that  time  quite  recovered  his  consciousness. 
His  clothes  were  torn  to  rags,  covered  with  dirt,  as  well  as 
steeped  in  blood.  The  doctor  summoned  expressed  aston- 
ishment that  he  should  have  escaped  with  his  life.  For 
some  days  the  extent  of  his  injuries  could  not  be  properly 
ascertained ;  but  he  soon  rallied,  and  his  recovery,  by  God's 
blessing,  was  very  speedy,  his  excellent  constitution  and 
natural  fearlessness  of  character  standing  him  in  good 
stead ;  and  specially  his  perfect  tranquillity  of  soul,  and 
his  happy  assurance  that  all  was  well,  whether  death  or  life 
were  the  issue.  The  following  letter,  from  London  to  Mr. 
Cowan,  contains  his  own  account  of  it ;  brief,  but  graphic. 

'  47,  Manchester  Street,  \^th  June  1864. — My  dear  Cowan, 
— How  solemn  are  our  meetings  and  partings  !  My  medical 
man  tells  me,  that  another  inch  one  way  and  our  fraternal 
bond  would  have  been  broken,  till  we  meet  again  before  the 
Lord.  On  Saturday  I  went  down  to  visit  Chapman,  a  very 
dear  Christian  friend.  He  is  old,  very  benevolent,  and  the 
greatest  lover  of  the  word  of  God  that  I  know.  We  have 
found  it  quickening  to  see  how  he  lives  on  the  truth,  and  the 
truth  lives  in  him.  His  house  is  in  Eaton  Place,  one  of  the 
districts  of  Belgravia.  We  left  it  to  go  to  see  some  of  his 
interesting  institutions  for  the  poor,  a  little  way  off.  We  had 
to  cross  the  street,  which  is  very  wide.  I  remember  looking 
carefully  up  and  down  to  see  that  the  way  was  clear,  and  then 
proceeded  to  pass,  holding  one  another  firmly  by  the  arm,  and 
engaged  in  interesting  conversation.  Just  as  we  had  got  about 
a  third  or  more  across,  one  of  those  wretched  butchers'  carts 
came  rushing  round  the  adjoining  corner,  and  ere  we  could 
move  or  cry,  it  was  upon  us  like  a  thunderbolt.  I  felt  a  dread- 
ful blow ;  my  hat  went  one  way,  my  umbrella  another.  My 
beloved  friend  was  happily  dashed  aside,  receiving  a  stunning 


318  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


blow  on  the  ground,  and  his  face  and  head  are  much  bruised. 
He  still  lies  very  ill.  I  went  down  under  the  horse's  feet,  which 
passed  over  me,  trampling  on  my  body.  The  driver,  as  he  has 
since  told  me,  horrified  at  what  he  had  done,  drew  back  with 
all  his  might,  and  so  the  horse  trampled  over  me  a  second 
time.  I  just  remember  the  hoofs  above  me,  and  the  wheels 
beside  me.  Captain  Chapman  was  first  picked  up,  and  re- 
moved to  his  house  close  by  ;  then  I  was  extricated  from 
the  horse's  feet,  and  taken  to  a  surgeon's  house.  My  clothes 
were  torn  in  a  thousand  fragments  ;  my  face  and  hands  pouring 
down  with  blood ;  and  my  thigh  quite  naked,  and  a  mass  of 
bleeding  flesh.  But  I  did  not  feel  any  of  these  wounds  at  the 
moment,  for  I  had  intense  agony,  when  I  breathed  or  moved, 
about  the  chest.  The  whole  muscular  and  nervous  system 
about  that  region  must  have  been  strangely  jarred  and  shaken  ; 
so  that  almost  all  my  suffering  has  proceeded  from  this ;  and 
yet  no  bone  was  broken.  Captain  Chapman  made  me  be 
taken  over  to  his  house  to  wait  till  his  medical  man  came. 
We  condoled  a  little ;  but  it  was  rather  a  hallelujah.  All  is 
well ;  it  will  turn  to  good.  But  I  would  not  remain ;  a  cab 
was  brought,  and  I  got  home.  My  dear  wife  and  helpmate 
behaved  nobly.  She  did  all  that  I  told  my  young  friends  in 
the  class,  about  presence  of  mind,  and  the  meek  and  quiet 
spirit.  I  am  now  fast  recovering,  though  I  have  been  suffering 
much  from  pain.  I  am  happy ;  deeply,  solemnly  happy.  So 
is  B.  We  have  just  been  saying,  since  your  note  came,  that 
this  must  be  owing  to  the  prayers  of  our  friends  for  us.  D.  V., 
we  hope  to  be  with  you  this  very  week.  It  is  a  week  more 
than  we  reckoned  upon  ;  but  it  will  be  the  Sabbatic  week,  the 
best  of  the  seven,  and  none  of  us  will  regret  it.  Sorry  not  to 
be  with  you  and  the  brethren  on  Wednesday  evening ;  but  the 
Master  orders  otherwise.  Much  love  to  the  brethren.  Thank 
all  for  their  prayers.' 

This  year  (1864)  the  Queen  visited  Perth,  to  uncover 
the  statue  of  Prince  Albert.     The  thought  occurred,  Could 


THE  QUEEN'S  VISIT.  319 

he  not  do  something  for  her  ?  If  she  had  been  of  lower 
rank,  he  could  have  given  her  some  suitable  book  or 
spoken  some  special  word;  but  how  could  he  approach 
Her  Majesty?  He  went  to  the  platform  along  with  other 
citizens ;  but  it  was  not  to  see  that  he  went,  but  to  watch  for 
an  opportunity  of  doing  something  for  her.  Others  might 
have  their  curiosity  gratified;  he  was  bent  on  a  higher 
object ;  for,  to  be  in  that  crowd,  and  yet  do  nothing  there 
for  the  Master,  was  to  him  impossible.  He  had  often 
prayed  for  her ;  could  he  not  get  a  word  spoken,  or  at 
least  conveyed  to  her,  whatever  might  be  the  difficulties  ? 
There  was  a  hymn  in  which  he  delighted,  and  from  which 
he  had  often  drawn  consolation  in  his  sorrows : — 

*  I  shine  in  the  light  of  God  ; 

His  likeness  stamps  my  brow  ; 
Through  the  valley  of  death  my  feet  have  trod, 

And  I  reign  in  glory  now  ! 
No  breaking  heart  is  here, 

No  keen  and  thrilling  pain, 
No  wasted  cheek,  where  the  frequent  tear 

Hath  roll'd  and  left  its  stain. 

I  have  reach'd  the  joys  of  heaven  : 

I  am  one  of  the  sainted  band ; 
For  my  head  a  crown  of  gold  is  given, 

And  a  harp  is  in  my  hand. 
I  have  leam'd  the  song  they  sing, 

Whom  Jesus  has  set  free  ; 
And  the  glorious  walls  of  heaven  still  ring 

With  my  new-born  melody. 

No  sin,  no  grief,  no  pain  ; 

Safe  in  my  happy  home  ; 
My  fears  all  fled,  my  doubts  all  slain, 

My  hour  of  triumph's  come  ! 


320  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Oh !  friends  of  mortal  years, 

The  trusted  and  the  true  ! 
Ye  are  watching  still  in  the  valley  of  tears, 

But  I  wait  to  welcome  you. 

Do  I  forget  ?  oh,  no  ! 

For  memory's  golden  chain 
Shall  bind  my  heart  to  the  hearts  below, 

Till  they  meet  to  touch  again. 
Each  link  is  strong  and  bright : 

And  love's  electric  flame 
Flows  freely  down,  like  a  river  of  light, 

To  the  world  from  whence  I  came. 

Do  you  mourn  when  another  star 

Shines  out  from  the  glittering  sky  ? 
Do  you  weep  when  the  raging  voice  of  war 

And  the  storms  of  conflict  die  ? 
Then  why  should  your  tears  run  down, 

And  your  hearts  be  sorely  riven, 
For  another  gem  in  the  Saviour's  crown, 

And  another  soul  in  heaven?' 

Of  this  hymn  he  kept  neatly  printed  copies  ;  and  one  of 
these,  enclosed  in  a  handsome  envelope,  he  took  with  him, 
waiting  for  an  opportunity  of  delivering  it.  Her  Majesty 
left  the  carriage,  and  crossed  the  platform ;  but  no  oppor- 
tunity occurred.  Mr.  Milne  followed  to  the  neighbouring 
hotel,  where  she  was  to  lunch.  He  went  to  the  hotel, 
told  his  errand,  and  being  personally  known  to  the  hotel- 
keeper,  was  politely  received,  but  told  that  Her  Majesty 
was  going  to  lunch.  Nothing  daunted,  he  asked  if  he 
could  see  any  of  the  royal  suite  ?  He  was  told  that  they 
were  in  an  ante-room.  He  asked  to  be  shown  thither, 
which  was  done.  To  this  room  he  found  his  way,  and 
knocked.     The  door  was  opened  by  Lord  Mansfield,  who, 


THE  QUEEN'S  VISIT.  321 

being  a  Perthshire  nobleman,  recognised  Mr.  Milne,  and 
received  him  courteously.  Mr.  Milne,  without  many  words, 
told  him  his  errand ;  and  said,  that  he  was  very  desirous 
that  a  hymn,  which  had  so  comforted  himself,  should  be 
put  into  Her  Majesty's  hand,  that  it  might  comfort  her 
too.  His  lordship  kindly  said  that  he  could  not  present 
it  himself,  but  that  he  would  take  him  to  General  Grey, 
who  was  the  proper  person  to  give  it.  Accordingly  Mr. 
Milne  was  introduced  to  General  Grey,  and  explained  his 
errand  to  him  ;  telling  him  how  anxious  he  was  that  this 
hymn  of  consolation  should  be  given  to  Her  Majesty. 
General  Grey  was  most  cordial,  and  said  at  once,  '  Give 
it  to  me,  and  I  promise  you  it  shall  be  delivered  into  Her 
Majesty's  own  hands.'  Mr.  Milne  gladly  gave  him  the 
envelope  with  the  hymn,  and  returned  home  full  of  thank- 
fulness and  hope.  Not  many  would  have  thought  of  this ; 
fewer  would  have  done  it.  But  he  was  always  'devising' 
such  things  (Isa.  xxxii.  8) ;  and  he  was  fertile  in  expedient:5* 
for  carrying  out  what  he  devised.  Nunquam  noil  paratus. 
Dr.  M'Crie  said  well :  'It  is  the  Christian's  cowardice 
that  spoils  his  fortune.'1  Of  that  cowardice  Mr.  Milne 
knew  nothing.  Some  of  us  often  envied  him  his  boldness 
and  his  readiness ;  especially  when  we  saw  it  so  chastened 
with  meekness,  and  singleness  of  eye. 

He  kept  a  large  stock  of  such  leaflets  and  little  books, 
and  had  them  always  about  him  for  giving  to  all  he  met 
with.  I  may  safely  say  that  he  never  wrote  a  letter  or 
note,  however  short,  without  some  sentence  or  word,  or 
leaflet,  that  spoke  the  man  of  God  ;  so  that  you  felt,  in 

1  In  his  Commentary  on  Esther. 
X 


322  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

receiving  a  note  from  him,  Here  is  one  who  cares  for  me, 
and  is  desirous  of  something  more  than  merely  being  civil 
to  me.  Even  when  endorsing  some  notice,  or  circular,  or 
proof-sheet,  he  would  write  some  word,  or  few  words, 
either  on  the  outside  or  on  the  envelope,  that  bore  a 
message  for  eternity.  These  little  abrupt  sentences,  verses 
or  half-verses,  scribbled  hastily  as  he  was  about  to  close 
his  envelope,  would,  if  collected,  form  a  most  peculiar 
little  book  or  tract,  whose  title  might  be  '  In  season 
and  out  of  season,'  and  whose  motto  might  be  Edward 
Irving's  famous  sentence,  '  Be  thou  the  pastor  always, 
less  than  the  pastor  never.'  The  following  is  an  en- 
velope scrap  :  '  We  were  a  little  sharp  upon  our  brother. 
I  always  regret  when  I  let  a  word  slip.  Let  us  have  a 
big  blazing  fire  of  love,  and  plenty  of  hot  coals.  That's 
the  way;  is  it  not?'  Here  is  another:  '  I  rejoice  in  the 
prosperity  of  others ;  it  is  the  Master's  joy,  it  should  be 
mine.'  Here  is  another  on  a  communion  week  :  '  Pray  for 
me  that  I  may  be  kept  and  guided  this  week ;  it  is  often 
a  time  of  temptation.'  A  newspaper  came  from  Calcutta 
to  Collace  with  '  Brethren  beloved,  pray  for  us,'  in  Greek, 
addressed,  '  Rev.  A.  H.  J.  J.  &  W.  B. ;'  and  a  note  to  Glas- 
gow has  this  postscript :  '  The  Lord  is  still  near,  waiting  to 
see  if  we  will  constrain  Him  to  abide.'  Another  note  closes 
thus :  '  If  we  earnestly  trust  in  the  Lord,  and  delight  in 
Him,  what  shall  we  not  get?'  and  another:  'I  like  the 
idea  of  St.  Leonard's  being  a  place  of  resort  for  every  good 
work ;'  and  another :  '  He  is  our  wonder-working  Lord  ;' 
and  another  :  '  My  future  is  in  Christ's  hand,  and  I  have 
no  thought,  will,  or  plan;'  and  another:  'Let  us  wait 


VISITS  TO  THE  SICK.  323 


for  the  end  of  the  Lord ;'  and  once  more  :  '  Ah,  brother, 
it  is  more  after  the  grain  to  send  a  note  to  Alick  Somer- 
ville,  than  a  petition  to  the  king's  court.' 

His  attention  in  cases  of  the  slightest  illness,  whether 
sent  for  or  not,  was  remarkable.  He  would  call  imme- 
diately on  hearing,  or  write  a  note,  or  send  a  tract,  or 
perhaps  his  card,  with  a  text  upon  it.  During  the  cholera 
he  visited  the  sick,  stayed  with  them  for  hours,  as  both 
nurse  and  pastor;  and  when  urged  by  the  relatives,  on  one 
occasion,  not  so  to  expose  himself,  he  said,  in  his  own 
way,  kindly  and  earnestly,  '  I'm  not  afraid  to  die.'  He 
went  to  another  very  infectious  case,  unsent  for  (the  indi- 
vidual not  belonging  to  his  flock),  sat  beside  the  sick-bed, 
spoke  the  message  of  peace,  and  received  the  warm 
thanks  of  the  dying  man.  Thinking  that  the  sufferer 
wanted  something  to  refresh  him,  Mr.  Milne  raised  him 
up  and  offered  him  something  for  his  parched  lips.  '  No, 
not  that,'  said  the  dying  man, — 'more  of  the  spiritual 
drink.'  The  cases  in  which  he  thus  went  in  search  of 
the  sick,  or  the  sinful,  or  the  sorrowful,  are  innumerable  ; 
and  his  anecdotes  of  these,  his  '  spiritual  adventures,' 
were  truly  interesting. 

How  he  watched  for  opportunities  of  dealing  with  men 
about  their  immortal  welfare,  and  found  such  opportunities 
where  others  would  hardly  have  deemed  it  practicable,  the 
following  letter  written  in  Glasgow  will  show.  He  had 
been  preaching  for  Mr.  Somerville,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
service,  which  in  all  likelihood  was  somewhat  late,  had 
hastened  away  to  the  house  of  his  brother,  then  in  that 
city.     He  writes  to  Mr.  S. : — 


324  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


'  What  did  you  say  when  you  got  to  the  vestry  and  found 
the  bird  flown  ?  But  I  don't  regret,  or  repent  a  bit,  of  stealing 
that  march  upon  you.  It  was  a  real,  but  it  was  a  right  act  of 
self-denial  to  forego  the  brotherly  convoy,  though  it  would 
have  been  right  pleasant  and  profitable.  Your  family  needed 
you,1  and  you  needed  quiet  rest ;  and  so  I  did  right  in  making 
the  sacrifice.  I  walked  quickly  home,  and  had  a  nice  talk 
with  one  of  the  watchmen,  who  kept  by  me  till  he  came  to  the 
end  of  his  beat.  He  thought  that  a  man  situated  as  he  was 
could  hardly  be  expected  to  be  religious.  But  I  fairly  turned 
the  tables  on  him  by  telling  him  of  a  day-watchman  with 
whom  I  had  spoken  the  other  day,  who  told  me  that  he  had  to 
leave  his  house  every  morning  at  six  o'clock,  but  that  he  never 
went  out  without  first  reading  a  little  of  the  Bible.  I  have  had 
several  nice  talks  with  young  men  in  this  way.  I  ask  a  ques- 
tion about  the  road ;  they  give  information  ;  something  else 
follows  ;  they  get  interested,  and  once  or  twice  have  gone 
almost  to  my  brother's  house.  Your  city  is  wonderfully  quiet 
and  orderly.  I  have  seen  nothing  to  offend  or  annoy  in  all 
the  long  line  of  streets  through  which  I  pass,  night  after  night, 
unless  it  be  the  spirit-sellers,  who,  wise  in  their  generation, 
have  occupied  the  commanding  positions  at  the  corner  cf  the 
streets ;  and,  with  their  rounded  fronts,  seem  to  command 
three,  or  often  four  streets  at  once.  In  Calcutta  I  used  often, 
in  the  fine  moonlight  nights,  to  take  my  staff  and  a  servant, 
and  sally  out  for  long  long  rounds  in  the  native  town,  and 
thus  came  to  know,  I  fancy,  a  great  deal  more  than  some  of 
our  friends  who  have  been  there  for  many  years.     The  Euro- 

1  '  Your  family  needed  you.'  Do  not  ministers  forget  this,  and 
soothe  their  consciences  by  thinking  that  they  are  attending  to  their 
flock  or  to  public  duties  ?  Hence  the  children  of  ministers  lose  that 
special  and  powerful  training  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  society  of 
their  father.  For  this  nothing  can  compensate.  The  perfect  mould  of 
character  (apart  from  the  mere  educational)  has  a  paternal  as  well  as 
a  maternal  side.  If  one  side  of  the  mould  be  withheld,  the  character 
will  be  thur  far  deficient. 


THE  NIGHT-  WA  TCHMEN.  325 

pean,  or  west  end,  is  quite  detached  from  the  native  town, 
and  so  one  may  live  long  in  Calcutta  and  yet  know  very  little 
of  the  natives.  There  are  many  bad  people  there  ;  but  I  was 
surprised  and  pleased  to  see  so  large  an  amount  of  quiet 
order,  regular  industry,  and  domestic  comfort.  At  night,  you 
know,  all  is  alive  and  on  the  move.  But  I  am  taking  coals  to 
Newcastle  ;  for  ed  Io  sono  orientale. — Believe  me,  very  affec- 
tionately yours,  'J.  M.' 

Not  in  Glasgow  only  did  he  thus  get  hold  of  the  night- 
watchmen.  He  did  the  same  in  Perth ;  and  at  late  hours 
might  be  seen  standing  in  talk  with  the  watchman,  or 
walking  by  his  side.  One  night  he  got  into  earnest  talk 
with  one  of  them,  entreating  him  to  give  himself  to  Christ. 
'  When  I  marry  a  couple,'  he  said,  '  I  say  to  the  woman, 
"Wilt  thou  take  this  man  for  thy  husband?"  and  to  the 
man,  "  Wilt  thou  take  this  woman  for  thy  wife?"  and  so 
the  marriage  is  concluded.  Now,  I  ask  you,  wall  you 
take  Christ  to-night?'  Thus  he  stood  pleading  with  the 
man;  and  then  taking  out  his  pocket  Bible,  which  he 
always  carried  with  him,  he  asked  him  to  turn  the  bright 
side  of  his  lantern  so  as  to  flash  the  light  on  the  page, 
and  thus  standing,  he  read  some  verses,  and  parted. 
Some  laughed  at  such  doings,  others  thought  him  mad. 
Yet,  if  he  believed  what  he  professed,  could  he  do  other- 
wise? And  if  they  are  mad  who  take  unusual  methods 
of  rescuing  the  lost,  what  are  they  who  take  no  methods 
at  all  ?  What  are  they  who  believe  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
a  lost  soul,  and  yet  meet  with  or  pass  by  thousands  of 
these  each  week,  without  one  word  of  love  or  of  warning 
spoken? 

Another  striking  incident  in  reference  to  this  class  of 


326  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

men  may  here  be  added,  to  show  how,  '  in  season  and  out 
of  season,'  he  carried  on  his  heavenly  embassy,  beseeching 
men  to  be  reconciled. 

It  was  his  invariable  practice  to  accompany  his  friends 
or  guests  to  the  train  when  they  left ;  to  carry  their  um- 
brella, or  plaid,  or  carpet-bag,  and  to  give  them  a  part- 
ing text  or  little  book.  He  did  so  once  with  his  friend 
Mr.  Riddell  of  Dundee,  who  had  been  preaching  for  him, 
and  who  was  to  start  by  the  late  train.  On  reaching  the 
station  they  found  themselves  half  an  hour  too  early.  '  I'll 
get  you  some  work  to  do,'  said  Mr.  M.  to  his  companion. 
He  disappeared  at  one  of  the  entrances,  and  then  re-ap- 
peared, bringing  with  him  the  watchman  of  the  station,  with 
whom  he  had  been  more  than  once  dealing  about  eternal 
things.  Leaving  Mr.  R.  with  the  man,  he  went  home. 
The  man  was  anxious,  but  full  of  doubts.  Mr.  Riddell 
remained  with  him  preaching  the  good  news ;  and  the 
light  seemed  to  enter  the  poor  man's  heart.  On  the  fol- 
lowing morning  the  newspaper  announced  the  sudden 
death,  from  heart-disease,  of  '  the  watchman  of  the  Perth 
station.'  Paul  had  planted,  Apollos  had  watered,  God 
had  given  the  increase  ;  but  the  corn  thus  suddenly  ripened 
was  as  suddenly  cut  down. 

As  he  had  himself  come  out  from  the  world,  so  did  he 
seek  with  all  earnestness  to  draw  others  out.  Like  Noah, 
he  '  condemned  the  world '  (Heb.  xi.  7). 

Robert  M'Cheyne's  life  and  ministry  formed  a  very 
decided  testimony  against  the  world  and  worldly  pleasures. 
In  his  private  conversations,  in  his  dealings  with  young 
people,  in  his   sennons,  in  his  '  fencing  the  tables,'  in 


ROBERT  M'CIIEYNE  AGAINST  WORLDLINESS.     327 

his  after-communion  addresses,  he  spoke  out  with  decision; 
and  some  of  the  most  vehement  things  we  ever  heard  from 
his  lips  were  in  condemnation  of  the  '  lovers  of  pleasure.' 
He  spoke  out  against  the  theatre,  the  ball-room,  the  card- 
table,  '  sparing  no  arrows.'  In  his  younger  days  he  had 
tasted  the  world's  pleasures,  but  found  them  poor.1  In 
the  beginning  of  1838  he  had  some  striking  sermons  on  1 
Pet.  i.  14-19,  the  notes  of  which  are  now  before  us.  Thus 
he  spoke,  and  thus  he  speaks  still :  '  My  dear  friends,  if 
you  wish  to  obey  the  word  of  God  here  laid  before  you, 
flee  from  all  circumstances,  from  all  places  or  companies, 
where  you  know  you  may  be  tempted  to  sin.  Are  there 
not  some  of  you  who  appear  to  be  awakened  and  to  re- 
joice in  Christ,  who  yet  go,  with  a  bold  and  daring  coun- 
tenance, into  idle  companies  and  places  where  you  know 
you  will  meet  with  temptation ?  Is  this  fearing  to  sin? 
"  Do  you  wish  us  to  be  hermits?"  you  will  say.     No  such 

1  There  were  few  things  that  Mr.  M'Cheyne  more  dreaded  than 
'  worldly  amusements '  in  the  families  of  professing  Christians, 
especially  of  ministers.  Let  those  who  think  that  he  was  narrow- 
minded  and  too  rigid,  test  his  views  by  our  Lord's  words  concerning 
the  world,  or  by  the  epistles  of  His  apostles  afterwards,  especially 
those  of  the  beloved  disciple.  '  The  extent  to  which  novel-reading, 
dancing  parties,  private  theatricals,  card-playing,  luxurious  feasting 
and  dressing,  loose,  frivolous,  and  profane  song-singing,  with  other 
exhibitions  of  utter  worldliness,  prevail  even  in  professedly  Christian 
families,  with  the  sanction  and  under  the  eye  of  office-bearers  in  the 
Church,  would  hardly  be  believed.  Can  we  wonder  at  so  many  of  the 
children  of  apparently  good  men  turning  out  ill,  when  we  know  that 
"  Love  not  the  world  "  was  no  maxim  in  their  training  ?'  Such  is  the 
statement  of  one  who  knew  something  about  the  ways  of  '  Christian 
families.'  It  was  no  Puritan  who  called  the  world  '  an  infinite 
masquerade.'     Risu  necat. 


328  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

thing.  But  do  you  know  a  company  where  holy  things 
are  slighted,  where  things  are  spoken  that  should  not  be 
named,  where  late,  unholy  hours  are  kept,  where  you  have 
already  been  tempted  to  sin  ?  Then,  child  of  God,  I  charge 
you  not  to  cross  that  threshold  again,  no,  not  once.  I 
charge  you,  flee  temptation ;  pass  the  time  of  your  sojourn- 
ing here  in  fear.  And  here  I  cannot  but  allude  to  an 
awful  provocation  of  God,  which,  I  have  reason  to  fear,  is 
carried  on  amongst  us.  I  mean  young  persons,  after  the 
holiest  exercises,  plunging  into  the  unholiest  companies  ; 
praying  in  the  house  of  God,  or  in  a  class  for  religious 
instruction  one  hour,  and  entering  into  ungodly  company 
the  very  next.  I  beseech  the  unconverted  among  you  to 
leave  off  this  practice,  if  you  would  not  have  God  send 
some  sore  judgment  on  your  soul.  I  charge  the  children  of 
God  among  you  to  leave  off  this  practice,  now  and  for 
ever.  Ah,  fear  to  sin  !  Flee  the  world  !  Flee  company ! 
Pass  the  time  of  your  sojourning  here  in  fear.' 

Of  the  same  spirit  was  John  Milne.  Of  the  same  tone 
was  his  ministry.  And  '  love  not  the  world '  came  well 
from  his  lips ;  for  he  lived  what  he  preached.  No  man 
could  suspect  him  of  loving  the  world,  or  caring  for  its 
pleasures,  or  its  gold,  or  its  literature,  or  its  company. 

It  is  by  being  filled  with  the  love  of  God,  and  admira- 
tion of  '  the  world  to  come,'  that  we  are  made  impervious 
to  this  world  and  its  attractions.  Nothing  else  will  do. 
Hence  the  folly  of  asceticism.  It  is  only  before  heavenly 
love  and  beauty  that  earthly  love  and  beauty  will  give 
way.  The  world's  pleasures  :  can  they  co-exist  with  the 
love  of  the  Father  ?     The  world's  religion  :  is  it  not  poorer 


WORLDLINESS.  329 


even  than  its  pleasures  ?  The  world's  polish :  is  it  not 
tinsel,  if  not  rust?  Yet  an  effort  is  being  made  by  some 
to  reconcile  the  two  worlds  and  their  two  masters ;  nay,  to 
make  the  religion  of  Christ  in  part  consist  of  an  enjoyment 
of  the  pleasures  of  life.  The  construction  of  a  worldly 
religion,  and  the  enjoyment  of  religious  worldliness,  are 
marked  features  of  the  age. 

Both  these  men  of  God  understood  '  the  world,'  and 
recognised  in  it  the  adversary  of  God  and  His  Church, 
alike  in  its  persecutions  and  its  blandishments.  It  was 
not  to  them  a  thing  of  the  first  century,  but  of  the  nine- 
teenth as  truly.  The  theology  that  teaches  men  not  '  to 
come  out  and  be  separate,'  but  to  enjoy  the  world  and  its 
pleasures,  did  not  fit  in  to  their  system.  Worldliness, 
however  refined,  was  still  worldliness  in  their  eyes,  because 
inconsistent  with  the  love  of  the  Father.  '  If  any  man 
love  the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him'  (1 
John  ii.  15).  Religious  worldliness,  or  worldly  religious- 
ness, seemed  to  them  of  all  things  most  opposed  to  the 
spirit  of  Christ. 

God  and  the  world  cannot  find  room  in  the  same  heart 
now,  any  more  than  in  former  ages.  The  *  reproach  of 
Christ'  (Heb.  xi.  26)  is  now  much  the  same  in  England 
as  it  was  in  Egypt  once ;  and  '  without  the  camp '  (Heb. 
xiii.  13)  cannot  mean  'within.'  The  attempt  to  efface  the 
line  that  separates  '  within  '  from  '  without '  can  only  suc- 
ceed by  the  creation  of  a  new  Christianity,  from  which 
some  of  the  great  features  of  the  old  are  struck  out.  The 
world  and  the  Church  have  been  found  at  times  not  un- 
willing to  patronize  each  other.    The  world  has  undertaken 


330  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

to  be  religious,  provided  die  Church  will  consent  to  be 
worldly.  The  basis  of  the  proposed  compromise  is  the 
mutual  understanding  that  a  man  may  be  worldly,  and  yet 
a  good  man ;  that  a  man  may  be  a  Christian,  and  yet  not 
a  very  bad  man  after  all. 

There  was  nothing  of  this  compromise  in  the  preaching 
or  the  lives  of  these  two  men  of  God.  Separation  from 
the  world  was  what  they  taught  and  lived.  No  amount  of 
supposed  progress,  or  refinement,  or  elevation  could  make 
the  world  less  the  world,  or  remove  its  hatred  of  Christ 
(John  xv.  18),  or  produce  the  love  of  holiness,  or  super- 
sede the  necessity  of  cleansing  by  the  blood,  or  regenera- 
tion from  above.  Certain  modern  philosophers  and  poets, 
in  evolving  what  they  have  called  the  human  side  of 
Christianity,  proceed  upon  the  defence  or  consecration 
of  '  worldliness.'  They  also  assume  that  old  Christianity, 
whether  of  the  first  or  the  seventeenth  century,  is  not 
suited  to  an  age  of  progress  and  intellect  like  ours : 

'  Your  creeds  are  dead,  your  rites  are  dead, 

Your  social  order,  too  ; 
Where  tarries  He,  the  power  who  said, 
"See,  I  make  all  things  new?" 

The  millions  suffer  still  and  grieve  ; 

And  what  can  helpers  heal  ? 
With  old-world  cures  men  half  believe 

For  woes  they  wholly  feel.' 

The  ministry  of  these  two  men  showed  that  they  had  not 
so  learned  Christ.  They  believed  that  what  man  needed 
was  salvation;  that  the  gospel  for  humanity  in  all  ages  is 
that  gospel  which  is  'the  power  of  God  unto  salvation;' 
and  that  this  salvation  comes  not  through  philosophy,  or 


UNWORLDLINESS.  331 


science,  or  sacramental  grace,  or  connection  with  a  church, 
but  through  the  cross  of  Christ  and  the  Spirit  of  the  living 
God.  Thus  they  preached,  and  thus  multitudes  beloved. 
Mr.  Milne's  consistency  was  as  marked  as  his  separation 
from  the  world.  His  conformity  to  '  the  world  to  come ' 
was  as  decided  as  his  non-conformity  to  '  this  present  evil 
world.'  His  relish  for  it  had  long  passed  away,  ever  since 
he  had  tasted  the  love  that  passeth  knowledge,  and  known 
the  grace  of  God  in  truth.  And  this  disrelish  for  lower 
things,  and  relish  for  the  higher,  is  our  great  preservative 
against  worldly  conformity.  Place  Mr.  Milne  anywhere, 
in  any  company,  his  unworldliness  showed  itself.  Place 
him  next  a  worldly  man  in  a  room,  in  a  railway  carriage, 
on  the  highway,  in  the  course  of  two  minutes'  conversa- 
tion his  character  came  out.  It  could  not  be  hid.  Ex- 
ceedingly well-informed,  gifted  with  great  powers  of  con- 
versation, and  with  a  most  versatile  mind,  he  could  take 
up  any  topic  ;  and,  ere  his  neighbour  was  aware,  he  would 
imperceptibly  give  the  conversation  a  higher  turn,  and,  in 
the  gentlest  of  words  and  tones,  introduce  the  great  ques- 
tion of  personal  relationship  to  God.1  He  might  meet 
a  mourner  in  the  street ;  he  would  go  up  and  speak  words 
of  consolation.  He  might  see  a  sickly  person  passing; 
he  would  go  and  offer  his  arm,  for  the  purpose  of  bring- 
ing to  him  the  glad  tidings.  Many  interesting,  we  might 
say  romantic,  stories  of  this  kind  has  he  modestly  told  us 

1  What  the  Pagan  Pliny  said  respecting  his  philosophic  friend 
Euphrates,  is  in  a  higher  sense  true  of  Mr.  Milne  :  '  Sermo  est  copi- 
osus  et  varius ;  dulcis  imprimis,  et  qui  repugnantes  quoque  ducat  et 
impellat.      Vita  sanctitas  summa,  comitas  par* 


332  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

in  our  quiet  walks ;  for  incidents,  such  as  those  referred 
to  above,  were  to  him  of  every-day  occurrence.  He  could 
hardly  pass  any  one  without  making  use  of  the  opportu- 
nity of  speaking  a  word,  or  giving  a  leaflet  or  book.  In 
season  and  out  of  season  he  preached,  and  spoke,  and 
acted.  The  full  heart  could  not  but  flow  out ;  and,  strange 
to  say,  almost  invariably  without  offence  being  taken,  so 
courteous,  so  gentlemanly,  so  kind,  so  unobtrusive  was  his 
manner. 

Sometimes  he  might  get  at  first  a  sharp  word,  but  his 
'soft  answer'  immediately  turned  away  the  wrath;  and 
as  he  never  took  offence,  or  lost  his  temper,  he  soon 
gained  the  advantage.  Once  when  he  was  with  me  at 
Kelso  for  a  few  days,  we  went  down  to  the  Berwick  coast 
together ;  and,  going  into  a  third-class  carriage,  we  found 
a  good  number  of  passengers,  among  whom  we  went  dis- 
tributing some  tracts.  At  the  end  of  the  carriage  sat  a 
young  man  in  the  attitude  of  resistance.  Mr.  Milne  ap- 
proached him  with  a  tract.  He  thrust  it  away,  saying, 
rudely,  that  he  wanted  none  of  these  things.  '  Very  well, 
my  dear  friend,'  said  Mr.  Milne,  gently,  '  very  well ;  but 
perhaps  you'll  change  your  mind,  and  if  you  do,  come  to 
me,  as  I  have  still  some  remaining.'  We  took  our  seats 
again  in  the  carriage,  and  sat,  perhaps  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  conversing  together, — the  passengers  quietly  reading 
the  tracts, — when  we  saw  the  young  man  making  his  way 
to  us  from  the  other  end  of  the  carriage.  '  I've  changed 
my  mind,  and  I'll  thank  you  for  a  tract,'  said  he.  The 
tract  was  given  at  once,  and  a  word  in  season  along  with 
it  to  the  stranger  as  he  left  the  carriage. 


IN  SEASON  AND  OUT  OF  SEASON.  333 

That  same  day  we  were  walking  together  along  the 
sandy  beach  on  the  south  side  of  the  Tweed,  just  opposite 
Berwick,  enjoying  the  sea  breeze,  and  watching  the 
fishermen  drawing  their  salmon-nets.  We  came  up  to 
two  who  were  busy  on  the  shore  '  mending  their  nets,'  or 
putting  them  in  order.  Mr.  Milne  at  once  saluted  them. 
1  You  are  fishermen,  I  see,  my  dear  friends.'  '  Yes,'  said 
they,  '  we  are.'  '  I'm  a  fisherman  too,'  said  he.  They 
looked  at  him  as  if  they  did  not  just  hear  what  he  said. 
'  I'm  a  fisherman,  my  friends,'  he  said ;  but  without  any 
explanation.  They  smiled,  and  implied  that  they  did  not 
quite  believe  him.  '  Yes,'  said  he  again,  '  I'm  a  fisher- 
man, and  so  is  my  brother  here.  We  are  both  fishermen.' 
The  attention  of  the  men  being  now  fixed,  and  their  eyes 
turned  on  him,  he  explained  himself,  telling  them  that  he 
had  come  to  fish  them. 

When  walking  out,  if  he  saw  a  man  breaking  stones  by 
the  road-side,  he  would  often  say  a  word  to  him  about  the 
hardness  of  his  work,  and  then  add,  '  Do  you  know  I  am 
a  stone-breaker  too  ? '  and  this  would  lead  to  a  conversa- 
tion about  the  heart  of  stone. 

No  one  could  mistake  him  at  any  time,  or  not  discover 
in  the  course  of  five  minutes  '  whose  he  was  and  whom  he 
served.'  Some  of  us,  when  thrown  into  unpleasant  com- 
pany, prefer  remaining  silent  rather  than  risk  unpleasant 
collision.  Not  so  Mr.  Milne.  He  did  not  fear  being 
affronted.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  speak,  and  he  had 
always  a  word  in  season, — a  mild  word  too ;  no  sharpness, 
no  dogmatism,  no  resentment.  He  seemed  incapable  of 
being  provoked  or  ruffled  by  any  amount  of  opposition ; 


334  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

and  the  '  My  friend,'  or  '  My  dear  friend,'  with  which  he 
prefaced  each  reply,  disarmed  and  won  the  opposer. 

He  bore  being  rallied  upon  the  long  sermons  of  his  early 
ministry  with  great  good-nature,  and  would  pleasantly 
reply,  '  Ah,  well,  my  dear  friend,  perhaps  you  are  right,  I 
was  too  long ;  but,  after  all,  God  used  the  sermon  you  speak 
of.     I  heard  of  some  who  were  awakened  that  day.' 

With  the  greatest  humility  and  modesty, — for  he  did 
not  think  of  himself  at  all, — he  was  one  of  the  most  in- 
dependent both  in  thought  and  action  that  you  could 
meet  with.  He  was  equally  at  home  in  conversing  with 
the  poor  or  rich ;  and  his  uncommonly  easy  manners 
found  access  for  him  everywhere.  His  affability  prevented 
any  coldness,  even  among  strangers ;  and  the  cheerful 
nod  of  the  head  that  accompanied  his  quiet  words  set 
each  one  at  ease,  as  if  all  had  been  old  friends. 

Some  are  more  ready  at  missing  than  at  making  oppor- 
tunities of  doing  good.  Seldom  did  Mr.  Milne  let  slip 
an  opportunity ;  often  did  he  make  it.  He  seemed  con- 
stantly on  the  watch  for  some  one  on  whom  to  let  fall  a 
word  of  wisdom  or  love.  Of  the  Master  it  was  said,  '  This 
man  receiveth  (is  on  the  outlook,  lies  in  wait  for,  irpoafe- 
xerai)  sinners :'  Luke  xv.  2.  So  was  it  with  the  servant  in 
the  present  case.  Before  he  went  out  he  prayed,  in  going 
along  he  prayed,  on  coming  home  he  prayed.  In  answer 
to  these  prayers,  opportunities,  often  of  the  most  unex- 
pected kind,  were  given  him.  Little,  perhaps,  did  they 
with  whom  he  thus  casually  met,  think  that  the  word  he 
spoke  to  them  as  he  passed,  or  as  he  walked  along  with 
them,  was  a  message  in  answer  to  the  speaker's  prayer. 


IN  SEASON  AND  OUT  OF  SEASON.  335 

He  entered  a  friend's  house  as  one  who  desired  to  bring 
blessing  with  him,  not  unfrequently  giving  the  apostolic 
salutation,  '  Peace  be  to  this  house.'  For  parents,  for 
children,  and  for  servants  he  had  a  word  and  a  look.  The 
following  incident  is  given  as  fitted  to  touch  the  hearts  of 
children.  At  a  brother  minister's  house  once,  he  was 
much  interested  with  his  host's  little  daughter,  of  some 
four  or  five  years  old.  He  taught  her  a  little  prayer — it 
was,  '  O  Lord,  give  me  a  new  heart,  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake.  Amen.'  Some  months  after,  he  heard  of  the  child's 
death,  and  also,  that  for  some  time  she  had  regularly  said 
the  prayer ;  but  one  day  she  had  omitted  it ;  and  when  her 
mother  asked  the  reason  she  had  forgotten  Mr.  Milne's 
prayer,  '  Oh,  no  ! '  she  said,  '  but  I  have  dot  it '  (got  it), 
meaning  the  new  heart. 

If  he  met  a  friend  in  the  street,  he  had  some  ready 
word  of  peace  to  greet  him  with.  If  he  went  into  a  shop, 
he  would  take  occasion,  from  the  articles  he  was  buying, 
to  say  a  word  in  season.  If  he  drove  in  a  cab,  he  would 
not  part  from  the  cabman  till  he  had  given  him  some 
little  book,  or  spoken  some  text,  or  reminded  him  of  his 
higher  calling.  Station-masters,  guards,  porters  knew  him, 
for  he  was  so  much  in  the  habit  of  engaging  them  in 
conversation  wherever  he  might  happen  to  be.  In  every 
man  he  saw  a  being  on  whom  a  word  might  tell  for 
eternity ;  and  he  acted  accordingly.  At  his  own  table,  or 
at  the  table  of  others,  he  was  the  most  polite  and  genial  of 
men ;  yet  with  no  '  foolish  talking  nor  jesting,'  no  frivolity 
nor  unseemly  conversation. 

He  wouid  speak  to  the  beggar,  and,  after  supplying  his 


336  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

need,  bid  him  go  to  Christ  and  beg  for  his  soul.  He 
would  go  up  to  the  servants  shaking  their  mats  at  the 
door,  and  remind  them  of  John  Bunyan's  room  of  dust, 
and  how  it  was  laid.  He  would  speak  with  the  same 
ease  to  the  great ;  for  his  natural  politeness  and  presence 
of  mind  enabled  him  to  approach  any  one,  without  the 
slightest  awkwardness.  He  would  condole  with  a  per- 
son who  had  met  with  losses,  pointing  him  to  the  riches 
which  are  never  lost ;  and  he  would  congratulate  another 
on  his  gains,  reminding  him  at  the  same  time  of  the  world 
to  come,  and  the  better  gains. 

He  would  go  out  of  his  way  to  get  an  opportunity  of 
doing  good;  nor  did  he  stand  on  ceremony  or  dignity 
in  his  efforts  to  win  and  save.  He  did  not  feel  that  he 
had  done  anything  undignified  when,  one  evening,  in  the 
streets  of  Perth,  he  gave  full  chase  to  three  boys  who 
ran  away  from  him  as  he  was  trying  to  persuade  them  to 
come  in  to  his  Sabbath  school.  Nor  did  he  think  he  had 
done  anything  out  of  the  way  when  he  got  up  on  the 
engine,  amid  smoke  and  dust,  and  drove  along  for  a 
stage,  in  order  to  get  a  talk  with  the  driver  and  stoker ; 
or  when  he  marched  into  church,  followed  by  four  sol- 
diers whom  he  had  met  as  they  were  going  to  walk,  and 
persuaded  to  turn  in  and  hear  the  word  of  life. 

He  sought  the  outcasts ;  he  sought  the  Roman  Catho- 
lics, so  that  he  won  the  hearts  of  many  of  these  latter, 
especially  of  the  children,  for  whom  he  had  always  a 
pleasant  smile  and  a  happy  text  as  he  passed  along  the 
street,  or  down  the  Meal  Vennel. 

It  may  be  well  to  notice  here  his  connection  with  the 


PERTH  CONFERENCES.  337 

Perth  Conferences.  With  these  he  was  associated  from 
first  to  last;  for  at  the  last  Conference  (September  1868), 
he  being  dead  yet  spoke,  as  it  was  he  who  drew  out  the 
programme.  He  grudged  no  labour,  no  cost,  no  trouble 
of  any  kind,  in  making  preparations  for  these  annual 
gatherings;  and  a  very  large  amount  of  correspondence 
in  regard  to  it  passed  through  his  hands.  The  pre- 
paratory meetings  in  Mr.  Milne's  house,  in  which  Mr. 
Macdonald  of  St.  Martin's,  Mr.  Grant  of  Arndilly,  Mr. 
Mudie  of  Montrose,  and  others  took  part,  will  be  remem- 
bered by  all  present  at  them  for  their  happy  brotherly 
spirit, — a  spirit  to  which  the  loving,  well-pleased  face  of 
Mr.  Milne  contributed  not  a  little.  Here  is  the  sketch  of 
the  Conference  history,  which  he  prefixed  to  the  report  of 
1S67:1— 

'  The  Perth  Religious  Conference  sprung  out  of  "  Evan- 
gelistic Open-Air  Meetings"  convened  by  Colonel  Macdonald 
Macdonald  of  St.  Martin's.  He  attended  the  great  open-air 
gathering  held  in  the  summer  of  i860  in  the  park  of  the  late 
Duchess  of  Gordon  at  Huntly  Lodge.  He  was  so  affected  by 
the  scene  and  its  results,  that  he  came  home  determined, 
through  God's  blessing,  to  have  something  of  the  same  kind 
at  Perth.  He  called  a  meeting  for  consultation  ;  but  ministers 
and  people  were  almost  all  out  of  town  enjoying  their  annual 

1  '  As  to  the  little  book  [above  noted],  I  have  no  doubt  the  Lord 
has  a  good  reason  for  the  delay  in  its  coming  out;  "wait  on  the  Lord, 
and  be  of  good  courage."  I  liked  very  much  Captain  Trotter's  little 
meetings  for  prayer  [parents  for  their  children].  It  was  a  new  but 
blessed  feature.  I  am  so  glad  that  you  are  seeing  fruit, — glad  of  the 
work  at  Ferryden.  The  Lord  has  a  favour  to  that  place,  and  it  is 
interesting  to  see  how ,  ardently  the  good  Arklays  long  for  blessing 
upon  it.' — Letter  to  Mr.  Mitdie  of  Montrose. 

Y 


LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


holiday.  Still  he  persevered,  though  with  little  encouragement 
or  help.  I  remember  that,  on  the  morning  of  the  first  day,  a 
number  of  Christian  friends  met  in  my  house,  facing  the  South 
Inch,  within  a  stone-throw  or  two  of  the  picturesque  spot  where, 
shaded  by  a  clump  of  trees,  the  stand  for  the  speakers  was 
erected,  and  a  large  tent  pitched  for  the  anxious  and  inquiring. 
There  was  more  fear  than  faith  in  that  little  company ;  but  we 
did  the  best  thing  we  could  in  the  circumstances, — we  knelt 
down  with  one  accord,  and  called  on  the  Lord.  One  began, 
another  followed  in  the  same  strain,  and  another  and  another, 
without  interruption,  till  the  supplication  went  round  the  whole 
circle.  It  was  really  one  prayer  uttered  by  many  voices. 
Somehow,  as  we  went  on,  we  seemed  to  breathe  more  freely, 
our  hearts  were  enlarged,  our  hopes  became  buoyant.  We 
rose  from  our  knees,  and  all  turned  to  the  windows  ;  and  what 
a  sight  met  our  eyes  !  Thousands  were  already  assembled, 
and  hundreds  were  trooping  in  from  all  quarters.  We  felt  that 
the  Lord  had  gathered  them,  and  that  He  was  now  going  forth 
with  us  to  the  battle.  When  the  service  began,  it  was  thought 
that  seven  or  eight  thousand  people  were  collected.  Soon 
came  the  answer  to  prayer ;  the  arrows  of  the  King  were 
sharp  ;  the  tent  was  filled  with  anxious  souls  ;  little  groups 
were  here  and  there,  all  over  the  Inch,  conversing,  kneeling 
in  prayer,  or  praising  God  for  light  and  salvation.  In  a  little 
while  the  adjoining  church,  conveniently  at  hand,  was  opened, 
and  numbers  of  the  awakened  resorted  to  it  for  conversation. 

'  In  the  evening,  they  met  in  the  City  Hall,  crowded  with 
from  two  to  three  thousand  persons  ;  and  the  Lord  was  present 
to  wound  and  to  heal.  The  second  day  resembled  the  first, 
and  so  did  the  third.  But  towards  the  close  of  the  last  meeting, 
the  Spirit  seemed  to  come  as  a  rushing  wind,  and  speakers 
and  hearers  were  alike  astonished.  One  dear  brother  came 
home  at  the  end,  crying,  "The  Lord  has  come!"  another 
followed,  crying,  "  The  Lord  has  come  indeed  !" 

'  It  had  been  arranged  that  next  night,  Friday,  a  meeting 
should  be  held  in  the  church,  where  the  anxious  had  been 


"  PER  TH  CONFERENCES.  339 

dealt  with  at  the  morning  meetings.  The  minister  of  that 
church  was  sitting  next  morning  at  breakfast  with  a  beloved 
brother  in  the  ministry,  when  the  thought  came  suddenly  with 
power  into  his  heart,  Why  should  the  meeting  to-night  be  in 
a  particular  church  ?  Why  not  in  the  City  Hall,  where  all 
could  participate  ?  The  thought  made  him  start  up,  and  say 
to  his  brother,  "  Will  you  stay  and  take  part  ?"  "  Yes,"  said 
his  friend,  "  with  all  my  heart."  After  looking  up  to  God,  and 
a  moment's  consultation  with  a  brother  minister  in  town,  the 
ball  was  taken  for  the  night,  and  placards  issued  intimating 
the  meeting.  When  we  met,  the  place  was  completely  crammed ; 
and,  though  the  strangers  were  gone,  yet  the  interest  and  im- 
pression were  the  same  as  before.  The  hall  was  immediately 
taken  for  a  week,  and  then  indefinitely,  and  for  seventy  nights 
in  succession  it  was  crowded  as  at  the  first ;  and  seven  or 
eight  hundred  persons  remained  night  after  night  to  be  con- 
versed with.  It  was  a  great  harvest ;  the  ministers  of  the 
town  laboured  lovingly  together ;  and  each  reaped  fruit  unto 
eternal  life. 

'  Next  year  similar  meetings  were  held  for  three  days  with 
blessed  results.  But  Colonel  Macdonald  and  his  friends  began 
to  feel  that  there  was  a  risk  in  being  in  the  open  air  in  our 
proverbially  changeable  climate  ;  and  so,  in  1863,  all  the 
meetings  were  held  in  the  City  Hall.  There  were  three  meet- 
ings each  day,  as  at  present :  forenoon,  for  short  addresses  on 
a  fixed  subject,  and  by  selected  speakers ;  afternoon,  for  free 
conversation  on  practical  subjects  connected  with  the  work  of 
God  ;  and  evening,  for  evangelistic  addresses,  the  subjects 
being  left  to  the  choice  of  the  different  speakers.  At  the 
commencement  of  this  new  series  of  meetings,  the  name  was 
changed  to  Perth  Religious. ^Conference,  this  term  being  sug- 
gested by  Mr.  Gordon  Forcing,  and  adopted  in  imitation  of 
the  well-known  Barnet  Conferences.  Mr.  Pennefather  was 
largely  consulted  in  regard  to  the  arrangements  ;  and  he  kindly 
came  down  to  the  first  meeting  to  help  and  countenance. 
Perhaps  it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  notice  the  subjects 


34Q  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

opened  up  at  the  forenoon  meetings  in  the  succeeding  years. 
In  1863,  they  were,  (1)  Love  to  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  how 
promoted  and  how  maintained  ;  Love  to  Saints ;  Love  to  a 
Lost  World ;  (2)  Searching  the  Scriptures  daily ;  (3)  The 
Believer's  position  in  the  world,  accepted,  working,  waiting. 
In  1 864,  they  were,  Progress,  Fruitfulness,  Holiness;  in  1865, 
Rejoicing,  Working,  Resting ;  in  1 866,  Peaceful,  Hopeful, 
Watchful.  This  present  year  Mr.  Grant  of  Arndilly  presided, 
as  he  did  in  1865,  in  consequence  of  the  illness  and  absence 
of  his  friend  Colonel  Macdonald. 

'  The  Lord  surely  has  a  favour  for  these  meetings.  He  has 
been  a  wall  of  fire  around  them,  and  the  glory  in  the  midst. 
Untoward  things,  like  frowning  clouds,  have  sometimes  ap- 
peared in  the  horizon  ;  but  they  have  speedily  changed  their 
character,  and  become  real  and  helpful  blessings.  They  have 
been  constantly  growing  in  interest  and  importance.  Many 
look  forward  to  them  with  desire,  prayer,  and  hope.  Some 
have  been  converted  at  them,  and  others  have  learned  the  way 
of  the  Lord  more  perfectly.  There  have  been  many  testi- 
monies all  along  from  God's  people  concerning  the  comfort 
and  quickening  they  have  received.  One  child  of  God  said 
the  other  day,  "We  have  been  in  Halleluiah  land."  An 
honoured  brother  in  the  Lord  writes,  "  What  will  glory  be, 
when  there  is  so  much  enjoyment  in  a  twinkle  of  it  ?" — J.  M.' 

How  much  we  missed  him  at  our  last  Conference,  in 
September  1868,  those  who  had  enjoyed  his  fellowship  at 
the  preceding  ones  can  best  say.  We  missed  him  from 
the  platform  and  from  the  private  circle.  His  fervent 
voice,  his  bright  expression  of  face,  his  pointed  petitions, 
his  outstretclted  right  hand  in  prayer,  whether  in  the  con- 
gregation or  the  Conference,  were  well  remembered  by 
many. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

1866-1867. 

ILLNESSES    AND     LABOURS. 

IN  September  1866,  he  had  a  severe  attack  of  congestion 
in  the  brain,  and  from  that  time  his  strength  was 
perceptibly  undermined.  His  life  was  for  some  time  de- 
spaired of;  but  in  love  the  Lord  prolonged  it  for  a  little, 
and  gave  him  a  little  more  work  to  do  for  Him  here, 
which  he  did  with  his  usual  energy  and  gladness,  though 
with  diminished  power.  During  this  illness  he  suffered 
intense  agony ;  the  pain  in  the  head  being  quite  excruci- 
ating. But  his  peace  was  like  a  river ;  his  patience  un- 
ruffled ;  and  his  sweetness  of  temper  invariable. 

After  this  illness,  a  friend  wrote  congratulating  him  on 
his  recovery,  and  asking  how  he  felt  in  the  near  prospect 
of  death.1     He  thus  replied  : — 

'  I  did  think  for  a  little  that  I  was  going  away,  and  I  felt  as 
if  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  die  and  be  with  Jesus.  But  that 
soon  passed,  and  then  began  terrible  excruciating  sufferings 
for  many  nights  and  days.  It  seemed  as  if  I  had  never  known 
suffering  before,  as  if  I  were  enduring  many  martyrdoms.    But 

1  See  reference  to  this  in  a  letter  at  page  140. 


342  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  Lord  strengthened,  and  I  was  enabled  to  wait  quietly  the 
appointed  time.  I  think  Jesus  helped  me  to  enter  into  His 
sufferings  in  a  way  I  never  did  before.  Also  to  feel  that  all  I 
suffered  came  directly  from  Himself,  and  was  exactly  weighed 
out  and  measured  as  to  amount  and  duration.  Then  I  began 
to  think  of  fellow-sufferers,  and  you  often  among  the  rest,  and 
I  think  the  Lord  has  given  me  more  and  tenderer  sympathy 
than  before.  I  had  no  sleep  for  ten  or  eleven  nights,  but  con- 
stant racking  pain  ;  but  I  know  that  the  Lord  helped  me  and 
carried  me  through.  I  now  see  that  God  is  served  by  waiting, 
suffering,  and  striving  to  say,  "  Not  my  will  but  Thine,"  as  well 
as  by  running  to  and  fro,  and  straining  every  nerve.  I  begin 
to  think  that  patience  is  the  crowning  grace.  You  are  far 
ahead  of  me  in  this  department  of  godliness,  and  I  may  well 
sit  at  your  feet  and  learn  to  cultivate  the  passive  graces.  I 
have  a  hope  that  the  Lord  means  to  spare  for  a  little  on  the 
footstool.  Thank  you  again  for  this  touching,  interesting  note  ; 
and  may  the  God  of  all  grace  and  peace,  after  we  have  suffered 
a  while,  stablish,  settle,  perfect  us  !  "  I  will  bless  God  at  all 
times.     All  His  paths  are  mercy  and  truth."' 

As  soon  as  he  was  able  he  resumed  work,  and  preached 
on  James  i.  4.  His  usual  pastoral  duties,  which  he  so 
truly  delighted  in,  he  was  able  once  more  to  undertake  for 
some  months.  Still  frequent  changes  were  necessary.  A 
happy  fortnight  at  the  Bridge  of  Allan,  in  May  1867,  helped 
to  brace  him ;  and  another  fortnight  at  Newport,  in  July. 
By  this  time,  however,  the  suffering  in  his  head  had  re- 
commenced, and  there  were  days  of  depression.  But 
before  taking  up  this,  his  last  year  of  work,  let  us  throw 
together  some  reminiscences  and  letters  of  1866. 

He  thus  writes  to  Mr.  Cowan : — 'My  dear  Brother, — Go 
on  and  prosper.  You  are  making  me  live  my  early  ministry 
over  again.     You  will  kindly  take  the  session  to-night.     If 


MISCELLANEOUS  NOTES.  343 

the  weather  permit,  I  shall  be  making  a  good  many  visits, 
and  to-morrow  shall,  D.  V.,  be  all  day  at  Madderty.  Tell  the 
elders  how  cheery  and  hopeful  our  district  visitors  were.' 
Again,  about  May  (1866),  on  leaving  for  a  little  rest,  he 
writes  briefly  to  his  colleague  : — '  Good-bye.  I  missed  you 
when  I  got  back  from  the  station.  I  wish  we  could  have 
had  a  few  quiet  moments  together ;  for  life  is  so  uncertain ; 
one  does  not  know  what  a  few  weeks  may  bring.  Several 
things  within  the  last  month  or  two  have  shown  me  that 
both  mind  and  body  are  rim  down,  and  need  a  little  quiet ; 
and  yet  I  feel  it  a  real  wrench  at  last  to  leave  the  objects 
of  daily  interest  and  occupation.'  On  the  21st  of  August 
of  the  same  year  he  writes  to  Mr.  Cowan  : — '  Thank  you, 
my  dear  brother,  for  your  welcome  note.  I  should  have 
been  beforehand  with  you,  but  could  not  find  out  your 
whereabouts.  Now  I  don't  let  the  grass  grow  under  my 
pen,  if  such  a  figure  is  allowable.  It  is  the  first  time  I 
ever  heard  of  Enoch  Dow;  but  I  shan't  forget  it.  You 
seem  to  have  fallen  on  your  feet,  like  Paul  at  Melita ;  and 
the  natives  seem  to  be  very  amiable  barbarians.  I  have 
a  note  from  Dymock,  putting  me  in  mind  that  you  and  I 
are  to  be  with  him  next  Sabbath.  Will  you  go  to  him  in 
the  forenoon  ?  and  so  I  shall  have  the  opportunity  of  in- 
timating your  return  to  our  people,  and  saying  that  you 
come  as  a  giant  longing  to  be  at  work.  I  trust  good  days 
are  before  us  this  winter.  Let  us  lie  low  and  look  up,  and 
not  let  Him  go.  .  .  .  Possibly  we  may  take  your  advice 
and  go  away  for  a  little  after  the  Conference.'  In  October, 
after  the  communion,  and  after  his  own  illness,  he  writes 
to  Mr.  Cowan  : — '  I  think  we  should  be  very  thankful  for 


344  LIFE  OF  KEV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

this  communion.  To  me  it  has  been  a  blessed  time.  I 
thought  yesterday,  as  I  sat  quiet  as  a  worshipper,  that  the 
Master  Himself  was  a  worshipper  in  the  earthly  sanctuary. 
It  was  very  comforting  to  me  to  think  that  the  ever-watch- 
ful Shepherd,  who  knows  the  end  from  the  beginning,  had, 
without  our  intending  it,  made  provision  for  my  lack  of 
service.' 

On  the  21st  of  September  (same  year)  he  thus  wrote 
from  Elgin  to  my  brother  : — 

'  My  very  dear  Andrew, — We  are  journeying  and  meet- 
ing with  daily,  hourly  mercies  ;  and  we  try  to  see  them  coming 
from  the  upper  spring,  through  the  wounds  of  the  bleeding 
Lamb.  We  were  in  the  Black  Isle,  Ross-shire,  at  B.'s  brother, 
Major  Nicolson's,  for  about  a  week  ;  and  I  saw  a  good  deal  of 
the  people,  both  in  preaching,  prayer-meetings,  and  road-side 
talks.  There  are  many  bruised  spirits  in  dark,  helpless  bond- 
age. We  are  here  for  a  night  or  two  with  the  widow  of  John 
M'Donald,  my  predecessor  in  the  Free  Church,  Calcutta.  You 
know  how  dear  his  memory  is  to  B.,  his  spiritual  daughter.' 

A  few  days  later,  I  find  the  following  letter  to  one  of  his 
office-bearers,  dated  Perth,  2gt/i  October  1866  : — 

'  My  dear  Mr.  Low, — I  was  favoured  with  the  minute 
of  deacons'  court,  which  you  kindly  sent  me.  I  cannot  ex- 
press how  much  we  were  affected  by  the  generous  and  affec- 
tionate way  in  which  they  were  pleased  to  speak  of  me.  The 
tie  between  them  and  me  is  now  becoming  old.  I  am  sure 
that  it  is  also  growing  warmer  and  stronger.  I  trust  that,  if 
not  able  in  future  to  work  so  much  as  formerly,  I  shall  yet  be 
inclined  and  enabled  to  pray  more  for  the  congregational  and 
individual  prosperity  of  my  friends.  I  observe  the  strong 
and  united  opinion  expressed  regarding  the  matter  which  was 
brought  before  the  court.  If  anything  could  make  me  depart 
from  the  wish  I  feel,  it  would  be  that     But  the  wish  remains 


LETTERS.  345 


unaltered,  and,  I  think,  unalterable.  I  meant  it  for  a  little 
thank-offering  for  the  great  kindness  which  we  have  at  this 
time  experienced  both  from  God  and  man.  I  wish  the  deacons' 
court  to  accept  this  thank-offering  at  my  hand,  and  to  employ 
it  in  any  way  that  seems  conducive  to  the  good  of  our  common 
charge,  the  flock  committed  to  our  care.  This  will  be  a  real 
relief  and  gratification  to  me. 

'  I  ask  their  and  your  prayers  for  my  brother  minister  and 
myself,  that  we  may  walk  in  love,  as  we  have  ever  done,  and 
that  we  may  be  baptized  afresh  with  the  spirit  of  power  and 
devotedness. — Believe  me,  very  affectionately  yours, 

'John  Milne.' 

He  writes  thus  to  a  dear  friend,  whose  son  was  starting 
for  India  : — 

'  I  should  like  to  shake  hands  with  the  emigrant,  and  bid 
him  God- speed.  I  shall  bring  a  note  or  two  with  me ;  but 
Calcutta  society  changes  very  fast  ;  and  if  I  were  to  go  back, 
I  should  find  myself  almost  a  stranger.  I  am  glad  that  he  goes 
into  so  good  a  house  as  the  Messrs.  Mackinnons.  I  love  them 
all,  and  the  Lord  guides  and  prospers  them.  .  .  .  Give  my  love 
to  him.  I  trust  the  Lord  will  give  him  the  121st  Psalm.  India 
is  a  good  country  for  a  man  who  is  healthy,  diligent,  and  fears 
God.' 

He  writes  thus  to  a  friend  in  sorrow  : — 

'  We  remember  you  and  your  heart's  desire  and  burden.  I 
trust  that  at  evening  time  it  will  be  light.  I  hope  Mr.  M.  got 
the  open  mouth  and  found  the  open  door.  Nothing  is  too  hard 
for  Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do.  No  solicitude  is  so  in- 
teresting, no  prayer  so  prevailing,  as  that  of  a  child  longing  for 
the  salvation  of  an  aged,  dying  father.  The  long-suffering  that 
has  spared  so  long  should  fill  you  with  hope  and  confidence. 
Somehow,  at  present,  I  seem  to  feel  as  if  nothing  will  be  with- 
held if  we  but  humbly,  trustfully  ask.' 

The  following  sketch  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  was 


346  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

written  on  the  blank  leaves  of  a  copy  of  that  epistle  which 
he  sent  to  a  friend  about  this  time  : — 

'  This  epistle  opens  with  God  as  Judge.  He  sits  upon 
the  throne,  and  the  world  is  summoned  before  Him.  Evi- 
dence is  led,  first,  against  the  Gentiles,  then  against  the  Jews. 
The  Judge  sums  up,  and  the  verdict  is  pronounced.  The 
criminal  is  speechless  ;  he  has  nothing  to  say  why  the  sentence 
of  death  should  not  be  executed.  This  is  the  state  of  all  men 
by  nature.     Oh  that  all  men  saw  and  felt  it ! 

'  Then  the  Substitute,  Surety,  Redeemer  is  brought  forward. 
He  takes  the  condemned  sinner's  place ;  He  is  willing  to  do  it, 
able  to  do  it.  God  accepts  this  voluntary  Surety,  and  lets  Him, 
in  the  room  of  the  sinner,  keep  the  law,  pay  the  debts,  endure 
the  death.  There  is  a  complete  transference.  "  He  was  de- 
livered for  our  offences,  and  raised  again  for  our  justification." 
Thus  God  can  be  just,  and  yet  forgive  sinners  ;  for  He  has  re- 
ceived full  satisfaction. 

'  This  is  salvation.  God  is  pleased  with  it,  Christ  is  pleased 
with  it.  Are  you  pleased  with  it?  Do  you  trust  and  rely  upon 
it?  Then  it  is  yours,  with  all  the  blessings  which  it  yields, 
such  as  peace  with  God,  access  to  God,  the  friendship  of  God, 
the  assurance  of  heaven.  Your  very  trials  now  become  bless- 
ings, and  are  cheerfully,  hopefully  borne,  and  your  whole  cha- 
racter is  changed  and  ameliorated.  You  are  peaceful,  trustful, 
thankful;  you  try  to  be  holy,  kindly,  living  as  a  child  of  God, 
an  heir  of  heaven,  a  pilgrim  on  earth,  and  seeking  the  good 
of  all  about  you.  It  is  a  thoroughly  good  and  reasonable 
religion. 

'  Chap.  i.  16-32.     Evidence  brought  against  the  Gentiles. 

'  Chap.  ii.     Evidence  brought  against  the  Jews. 

'  Chap.  iii.  9-18.     Judge  summing  up. 

'  Chap.  iii.  19,  20.     Nothing  to  plead  in  arrest  of  judgment. 

'  Chap.  iii.  21-31.  The  way  of  redemption  free  to  all  by  the 
Surety. 

'  Chap.  iv.     An  example  and  illustration  of  faith. 


HIS  CARE  FOR  INDIVIDUALS.  347 

'  Chap.  v.  Benefits  of  believing  on  Christ,  and  taking  Him 
as  our  Surety. 

'  Chap.  vi.  Holiness  and  new  obedience  spring  from  faith 
in  Christ. 

'  Chap.  vii.     Conflict  between  the  old  and  new  nature. 

'  Chap.  viii.     Living  and  walking  in  the  Spirit. 

'  Chap.  xii.  The  holy,  loving,  kindly  life  and  temper  of  a 
true  believer.' 

These  notes  are  written  along  the  margin. 

To  the  same  friend  he  would  sometimes  send  a  tract, 
with  a  word  on  it  :  'I  think  this  will  interest  you ;  it  is 
rather  a  favourite  of  mine ;'  or  leave  a  card  at  his  door 
thus  marked:  '  With  best  wishes;  John  i.  29  3 '  or  '  Glad  to 
hear  that  you  are  better  ;  John  xiv.  1-3.' 

In  October  1867,  he  wrote  to  the  same  friend,  thanking 
him  for  some  game,  and  continues  : — 

*  I  trust  you  are  feeling  better,  and  able  to  look  forward  hope- 
fully to  the  coming  winter.  I  am  poorly  myself,  and  so  can 
sympathize  with  you ;  but  may  we  both  enjoy  much  of  the 
peace  and  hope  which  spring  from  resting  wholly  on  our  loving 
and  glorified  Saviour.  Dear  friend,  you  know  that  I  love  you, 
and  that  my  desire  is,  that  we  may  meet  at  the  Lord's  right 
hand. 

'  "  Let  me  in  peace  resign  my  breath, 
And  Thy  salvation  see  ; 
My  sins  deserve  the  second  death, 
But  Jesus  died  for  me." 

'  I  hope,  in  a  day  or  two,  to  call.  It  will  be  one  of  my  first 
visits.' 

This  gentleman  was  not  a  member  of  Mr.  Milne's  flock, 
but  belonged  to  the  Established  Church.  After  Mr.  Milne's 
death  he  wrote  to  a  friend  as  follows : — 


348  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

1 I,  with  all  others  acquainted  with  Mr.  Milne,  felt  his  death 
much.  He  was  a  sincere  friend,  and  a  Christian  minister, 
whose  whole  aim  and  object  was  to  do  good  and  save  souls. 
While  he  was  always  cheerful  and  lively,  he  ever  had  but  one 
object  in  view;  and  if  he  happened  to  call  and  not  find  you  at 
home,  he  left  his  card,  generally  with  a  reference  to  some  text 
of  Scripture  that  he  wished  you  to  consider.  I  have  often, 
during  my  illness,  wished  I  was  prepared,  like  him,  for  the 
great  change  which  must  soon  come.' 

Such  are  some  of  the  letters  of  this  period.  Let  me 
now  give  some  miscellaneous  fragments  and  notices  con- 
nected with  it. 

In  a  railway  carriage,  going  a  little  way  from  London,  an 
elderly  gentleman  was  our  only  companion.  Some  remark 
was  made  about  the  name  of  a  station,  and  the  gentleman  said 
he  could  give  no  decided  information  as  he  had  been  long 
abroad.  This  opened  the  conversation  ;  he  had  been  in  Italy 
and  Sicily.  He  described  the  sad  state  of  those  countries, 
and  Mr.  Milne  said,  '  What  will  be  the  end  of  all  this  ?'  The 
gentleman  replied,  '  /  ought  rather  to  ask  you  that  question, 
for  I  see  you  are  a  clergyman.'  '  Well,'  said  Mr.  Milne,  rising 
up  as  he  spoke,  '  I  think  the  Lord  Jesus  will  come  and  put  all 
to  rights.  That  is  my  only  hope  for  a  sinful,  distracted  world.' 
The  gentleman  immediately  stretched  out  his  hand,  and  cor- 
dially shaking  that  of  Mr.  Milne,  said,  'Then  we  are  at  one. 
That  is  my  hope  too.'  Mr.  Milne  had  almost  immediately  to 
leave  the  carriage,  and  parted  with  the  new  acquaintance  as 
with  a  friend. 

During  a  visit  to  London,  at  one  of  the  metropolitan  railway 
stations,  while  waiting  for  a  train,  he  was  interested  with  a  fine 
little  boy,  whose  father  was  pretending  he  would  throw  the 
child  on  the  rails,  much  to  the  little  fellow's  amusement.  At 
last  Mr.  Milne  said  to  the  boy,  '  Why  are  you  not  afraid?  If 
he  throws  you  down,  you  will  be  killed.'  '  Oh  ! '  said  the  child, 
with  a  shout  of  laughter, '  he's  my  papa.'    Mr.  Milne  paused  a 


ANECDOTES.  349 

moment,  and  then  turning  to  the  gentleman,  said,  '  What  a 
lesson  your  boy  has  taught  us,  that,  under  all  circumstances,  we 
should  trust  our  heavenly  Father  that  He  will  not  hurt  us  ! ' 
and  then  walked  on.  In  a  few  minutes  the  gentleman  followed 
and  said,  '  It  is  very  remarkable  that  you  should  have  made 
that  remark  to  me  just  now.  I  am  now  on  my  way  to  visit  my 
own  father,  who  is  in  a  lunatic  asylum,  and  I  am  afraid  I  have 
had  hard  thoughts  of  my  heavenly  Father ;  but ' —  at  that 
moment  his  train  came  up,  and  all  he  could  add  was,  '  Thank 
you,  thank  you.' 

An  old  servant  was  remarking  that  she  scarcely  ever  passed 
him  in  the  lobby  without  some  word  to  raise  her  thoughts  up- 
ward. His  study  chimney  was  very  apt  to  smoke,  and  she  was 
lamenting  it  to  him  one  day,  when  he  quietly  said,  '  Oh,  never 
mind,  Mary,  the  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away.' 

Coming  from  church  one  afternoon  he  saw  three  women,  in 
a  humble  rank  of  life,  going  out  to  walk  on  the  Inch.  One  said 
to  the  others,  '  Stop,  I  have  lost  something.'  '  Yes,'  said  Mr. 
Milne,  '  stop ;  for  though  I  do  not  know  what  you  have  lost,  I 
know  what  you  are  losing.'  They  looked  amazed.  '  Yes,'  he 
continued,  '  you  are  losing  your  Sabbath  ;  and  if  you  lose  your 
Sabbaths  now,  you  will  lose  your  souls  by  and  by.'  The 
women  did  stop  and  turned  back  to  their  house. 

Walking  in  the  country,  near  Bridge  of  Allan,  he  met  a 
woman,  to  whom  he  offered  a  tract.  She  seemed  most  willing 
to  take  it,  and  he  added,  '  I  hope  you  can  say,  Christ  is  mine.' 
She  hesitated ;  so  holding  out  the  tract,  he  said,  '  I  offer  you 
this,  is  it  yours?'  She  said,  '  Not  till  I  have  taken  it.'  'Well,' 
he  said,  '  it  is  the  same  with  Christ.  God,  by  His  ministers, 
offers  Him  to  you.  Accept  of  Him,  and  then  you  can  say, 
Christ  is  mine.' 

Another  day,  near  the  Bridge  of  Allan,  a  shepherd  overtook 
him,  with  a  dog.  Mr.  Milne  spoke  to  the  dog"  and  remarked 
that,  though  friendly  enough,  he  would  only  follow  his  master; 
and  then  he  said  to  that  master,  '  He  teaches  us  how  we  should 
follow  Christ.'    He  then  said,  '  Where  are  you  going  in  such  a 


3So  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

haste  ? '  '  Oh,'  said  the  shepherd,  '  three  of  my  sheep  went 
astray  last  night,  and  I  am  going  in  search  of  them.'  '  That's 
what  the  Lord  Jesus  does,'  said  Mr.  Milne.  '  He  is  ever  seek- 
ing and  taking  care  of  His  sheep.  As  you  go  on  your  way, 
think  of  these  two  lessons, — to  follow  your  Master  as  your  dog 
follows  you ;  and  because  you  are  careful  of  your  sheep,  be- 
lieve in  the  true  Shepherd's  care  of  His  sheep.'  The  man  was 
a  Christian,  and  became  much  affected.  A  few  words  of  prayer 
closed  the  meeting. 

He  had  preached  one  Sabbath  on  '  The  harvest  is  past,  the 
summer  is  ended,  and  we  are  not  saved  ; '  and  during  the  course 
of  the  following  week  he  saw  one  of  his  people  walking  along 
with  a  companion.  He  went  up,  and  putting  his  hand  on  his 
friend's  shoulder,  said,  ' "  The  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is 
ended,  and  we  are  not  saved  " — are  YOU  saved  ? '  and  imme- 
diately passed.  His  friend's  companion  said,  '  Was  not  that 
very  forward  and  uncalled  for  ?'  '  No,'  said  the  other,  '  it  is  a 
most  important  question,'  That  question  led  to  a  true  conver- 
sion. 

One  night  dining  with  a  friend,  the  song  was  sung,  '  There's 
nae  luck  aboot  the  house.'  Some  one  admired  the  sentiments 
it  expressed.  Mr.  Milne  did  so  too,  but  added,  that  such  ex- 
pressions in  their  fullest  meaning  ought  only  to  apply  to  the 
Lord.  The  singer  rather  demurred  and  laughed  at  the  idea  ; 
but  an  interesting  conversation  followed  which  arrested  all 
present.  Mr.  Milne  used  to  say  that  all  the  Jacobite  songs  in 
praise  of  Prince  Charlie,  only  showed  what  the  Christian's  feel- 
ing should  be  to  King  Jesus.  The  young  man  who  sung  the 
ballad  became  quite  solemnized,  and  on  his  way  home,  said, 
'  Well,  if  I  were  much  with  these  good  people,  I  think  I  should 
become  good  myself.'  The  lady,  in  whose  house  the  party  met, 
says,  '  Mr.  Milne's  spiritual  tone  quite  elevated  all  of  them.' 

On  Sabbath,  a  Roman  Catholic  girl  was  brought  to  the 
house  in  great  distress.  She  had  been  going  to  Protestant 
churches,  and  her  relations  threatened  to  take  her  life  if  she 
did  so,  while  yet  she  could  not  stay  away,  as  she  felt  the  life 


ANECDOTES.  351 


of  her  soul  was  at  stake.  From  fear,  she  was  quite  ill.  She 
was  sent  to  bed  in  the  manse,  and  permission  was  obtained 
from  her  mistress  to  remain  for  a  few  days.  Two  evenings 
after,  the  Roman  Catholic  priest  came  to  the  house,  and  accused 
Mr.  Milne  of  trying  to  draw  away  his  people.  Mr.  Milne  was 
quite  calm,  and  said,  '  Not  so,  the  girl  was  an  entire  stranger  to 
me.  I  never  saw  her  till  I  saw  her  in  my  own  house,  where  she 
had  been  brought  by  one  of  my  people.  She  was  in  trouble, 
and  we  have  shown  her  kindness.'  The  priest  said  something, 
why  had  she  been  brought  to  Mr.  Milne's  house.  '  I  suppose/ 
said  Mr.  Milne,  '  because  my  people  know  that  my  house  and 
my  purse  are  ever  open  to  them.  If  one  of  my  people,'  he 
continued,  '  had  been  taken  to  your  house,  I  think  you  would 
have  acted  as  I  have  done.  I  give  you  credit  for  being  earnest, 
and  acting  up  to  your  light — I  only  wish  that  light  were  clearer. 
Will  you  not  give  me  the  same  credit  ? '  The  priest  was  angry, 
and  asked,  Might  not  her  friends  see  her  ?  '  Oh,  certainly,' 
said  Mr.  Milne,  '  and  she  can  go  away  whenever  she  likes  ;  but 
no  force  must  be  used  to  take  her  away.'  The  girl  remained 
for  some  days  ;  and  though  afterwards  she  lost  her  reason  and 
destroyed  herself,  yet  she  seems  truly  to  have  known  the  Lord 
Jesus. 

One  now  residing  in  Canada,  but  who  long  sat  under  Mr. 
Andrew  Gray's  ministry,  writing  last  year  to  a  friend  in  Perth, 
and  alluding  to  his  religious  views,  says  :  '  Talking  of  my  theo- 
logy, let  me  give  John  Milne  justice.  My  first  perfectly  clear 
view  of  saving  truth  was  from  him.  "  We  are  saved,"  said 
he  to  me  one  day  in  my  shop,  "by  a  person."  Immediately 
the  truth  flashed  into  my  mind.' 

He  was  very  fond  of  children,  and  almost  every  child  in 
Perth  knew  him.  Constantly,  in  the  street,  he  would  stop  to 
play  ball  with  one,  or  throw  the  skipping  rope  with  another. 
One  writes  :  '  He  used  to  be  so  kind  to  our  children  one 
winter,  giving  them  slides  ;  and  one  day,  when  he  met  them 
going  to  the  post-office,  he  spoke  and  passed  on,  but  ran  back 
again,  and  putting  his  arm  round  J.'s  neck,  walked  along,  tell- 


352  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

ing  him  about  the  little  boy  in  Germany  who  wrote  a  letter  to 
the  dear  Lord  Jesus.  He  did  not  then  know  who  the  children 
were,  for  he  never  asked  their  names.' 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Ontario,  Canada, 
July  1868,  to  Mrs.  Milne,  may  come  in  here,  as  containing 
some  incidents  of  his  life  : — 

'  You  can  conceive  our  mutual  feelings,  when  dining  lately 
with  a  young  man  converted  under  Mr.  Milne's  preaching  in 
Perth.  I  said  to  him,  "  Did  you  hear  of  the  illness  of  our 
friend  Mr.  Milne  ?"  and  he  replied,  "  Did  you  not  hear  of  his 
death  ?"  My  mother  had  written  me  of  your  precious  husband's 
illness,  but  my  friend  had  received  a  newspaper  account  of  his 
death.  Oh  how  many  feelings  this  sudden  news  created  within 
me  !  I  cannot  call  it  bad  news  ;  for  to  hear  that  a  Christian 
has  gone  to  heaven  is  never  bad  news.  .  .  . 

'  At  the  great  Convention  of  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciations of  the  United  States  and  British  Provinces,  I  had  the 
opportunity  of  telling  of  the  first  serious  interview  I  had  with 
Mr.  Milne,  and  repeating  his  memorable  words  that  morning, 
as  he  took  his  watch  out  of  his  pocket,  and  said,  "  Dear  Mr. 
B.,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you  in  this  state  ;  but  as,  when  God  is 
saving  the  soul  of  a  man,  He  does  not  require  to  take  the  time 
that  belongs  to  his  fellow-man,  so  it  is  now  five  minutes  to 
your  office  hour,  and  I  will  not  therefore  stop  to  speak  to  you. 
One  word  of  prayer  first ;  and  then,  as  the  carriage  drives  you 
to  office,  you  will  be  able  perhaps  to  glance  at  the  first  page 
or  two  of  this  little  book,  and  be  able,  even  in  that  short  time, 
to  find  that  as  great  a  sinner  as  you  found  mercy ;  and  I  will 
come  to  see  you  after  office  hours."  Well  do  I  remember  the 
first  letter  I  wrote  Mr.  Milne,  daring  him  to  come  and  see  me, 
unless  he  got  a  direct  message  of  mercy  for  me  on  his  knees. 
Never  will  I  forget  the  impression  his  words  above  quoted 
made  upon  me.  I  saw  he  was  a  man  who  gave  God  all  the 
power  and  the  glory,  and  this  made  me  trust  him  with  all  my 
heart.' 


THE  MASTER'S  COMING.  353 

The  incident  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  letter  must 
have  occurred  in  1854,  or  quite  the  end  of  1853.  Further 
on,  the  writer  says  that  he  mentions  it  lest  any  memoir  might 
be  written ;  as  it  seemed  to  him  to  be  a  good  illustration 
of  Mr.  Milne's  tact  in  winning  souls  to  Christ.  The  writer 
has  been  a  consistent  Christian  ever  since.  Our  readers 
may  be  interested  by  the  conclusion  of  his  letter : — 

'  How  few  seem  to  receive  the  comfort  of  the  first  resurrec- 
tion in  the  way  Dr.  H.  Bonar  views  it  !  Am  I  mistaken  in 
thinking  Mr.  Milne  was  a  partaker  of  his  views  of  the  pre- 
millennial  advent  ?  How  often  will  you  now  say,  "  No  shadows 
yonder  !"  May  you  more  and  more  enjoy  the  truth  Mr.  Milne 
once  taught  me,  as  he  said,  "  I  love  all  the  23d  Psalm  ;  but 
the  sweetest  words  to  me  in  it  are  these,  '  He  restoreth  my 
sotil.'"  God  be  praised,  who  met  me  in  the  way  by  His  dear 
servant  your  husband.  What  a  bright  crown  his  must  be  ! 
He  literally  turned  many  to  righteousness,  and  very  many 
more,  I  doubt  not,  than  he  ever  knew  of.  The  seed  he  has 
cast  upon  the  waters  has  not  been  all  found  yet.' 

Let  us  now  turn  to  his  own  journal.  We  cannot  give 
it  fully ;  but  the  following  extracts  will  be  interesting  : — 

'  Perth,  yth  June  1867. — Friday  night. — It  is  very  long  since 
I  have  made  any  jottings  of  the  Lord's  dealings  with  me,  or  of 
my  own  spiritual  experience.  I  know  the  dangers  connected 
with  doing  this  ;  but  I  miss  the  benefits  which  I  used  to  derive 
from  my  poor  attempts  to  preserve  a  few  spiritual  memoranda. 
I  have  now  entered  my  sixty-first  year,  so  that  my  life  is  draw- 
ing near  to  its  close.  I  have  also  had  some  very  marked  warn- 
ings, which  assure  me  that  the  end  of  it  comes  near,  and  may- 
be very  sudden.  I  seek  to  live  under  a  happy  belief  that  my 
Master  will  come,  and  may  come  at  any  time.  I  want,  there- 
fore, to  be  more  watchful,  earnest,  prayerful ;  more  happy, 
holy,  and  devoted.     I  know  something  of  my  besetting  sins, 

Z 


354  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

and  desire  to  deny  and  keep  them  under.  Help  me,  therefore, 
Lord,  to  pass  each  day  in  review  under  Thine  eye,  and  so  to 
give  thanks,  or  ask  mercy  and  grace,  according  to  my  need. 
This  day  has  been  a  varied  one  ;  trial  in  the  morning,  in  which, 
I  fear,  I  failed  somewhat,  being  taken  by  surprise  from  the 
unexpected  nature  of  the  trial.  Let  me  keep  in  the  secret 
place,  and  so  I  shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty, 
and  never  be  afraid.  Some  help  in  preparing  for  Sabbath, 
and  so  some  hope  that  there  may  be  blessing.  Peaceful  and 
quiet  at  the  close ;  but  not  much  girt  up,  and  little  spring.  I 
have  a  hope  that  it  is  with  me  a  time  between  two  tides.  I 
know  that  hitherto  I  have  acted  too  much  under  the  impulse 
of  self,  the  flesh,  excitement,  present  things,  the  sudden  view 
of  the  moment,  man's  favour  and  power.  I  believe  the  Lord 
is  delivering  me  from  this ;  the  tide  has  ebbed  away ;  and  I 
am  like  a  ship  that  is  aground.  May  I  be  content ;  weaned 
from  all  that ;  fearful  of  being  carried  away  with  it  again.  May 
I  be  enabled,  in  faith  and  patience,  to  wait  for  a  better  flood, 
— the  river  which  makes  glad  the  city  of  God,  the  life  which  is 
hid  with  Christ  in  God  ! 

'  8th  June. — Saturday  night. — This  has  been  a  very  quiet, 
peaceful  day,  both  outwardly  and  inwardly.  I  have  been  pre- 
paring for  to-morrow,  and  have  desire  and  hope  of  blessing. 
Several  things  feed  this  expectation,  and  I  think  it  will  not  be 
disappointed.  I  am  longing  for  a  shower  of  the  blessing  which 
is  falling  freely  in  many  places  both  of  England  and  Scotland. 
It  has  come  very  near  us  on  several  hands,  but  has  not  yet 
appeared  here.  Except  in  two  or  three,  I  see  little  interest  or 
concern  about  it.  But  I  know  how  easily  the  Lord  could  rouse 
the  whole  community,  so  I  am  trying  to  wait  patiently. 

'  June  gth. — Sabbath  night. — A  quiet  day ;  not  much  sensible 
help  ;  not  much  vigour  in  my  work.  I  feel  as  if  the  Lord  were 
training  me  to  lean  more  on  Him,  both  in  preaching  and  prayer. 
It  is  selfishness  and  unbelief  that  stand  in  the  way;  but  the 
Lord  can  shine  away  both  these  dark  shadows.  It  will  be  a 
blessed  freedom  when  they  are  greatly  away.     A  nice  meeting 


LOOKING  UPWARDS.  355 

at  night,  to  hear  about  a  work  of  God  in  Derbyshire  and  at 
Auchterarder.  I  trust  the  Lord  is  preparing  us  for  another 
outbreak  of  grace  here.  Lord,  help  me  this  week ;  make  it 
remarkable  for  holiness  and  blessedness  !  Great  help  and 
comfort  in  thinking  of  the  passages  which  seem  to  be  sug- 
gested to  my  mind. 

1  10th  June. — Monday  night. — Another  quiet  day ;  some 
trial,  but  overruled.  Enabled  to  cheer  and  comfort  some. 
Last  night  a  good  deal  awake,  but  finding  communion  and 
profitable  meditation.  The  thoughts  and  texts  have  passed 
away,  but  I  was  the  better  for  them  at  the  time,  and  perhaps 
they  will  be  restored  by  the  Remembrancer.  One  thought 
was,  that  Christ's  mediation  is  the  only  way  in  which  God  can 
forget  and  forgive  sin,  and  in  which  the  sinner's  conscience 
can  find  a  perfect  and  everlasting  rest.  I  have  tried  to-day 
to  cleave  to  Christ,  to  abide  in  the  secret  place,  to  have  an 
appetite  for  the  word  of  God,  to  care  for  my  fellow-man,  and 
to  remember  the  Master's  coming.  Lord  forgive,  bless,  and 
prosper  the  little  note  I  have  been  writing.  Let  it  do  some 
good,  and  not  any  harm. 

1  nth  June. — Tuesday  evening. — Much  at  home;  writing 
letters ;  jaded,  but  somewhat  restored  again.  It  is  a  great 
blessing  when  we  learn  to  stop  and  turn  to  the  Lord  before 
we  are  oppressed,  and  the  spirit  becomes  flat  and  without 
spring.  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway.  Prayer,  the  word,  medi- 
tation, uplift  and  brace  again.  The  living  water  springs  up 
afresh. 

'  12th  June. —  Wednesday  evening. — Many  blessings  to-day; 
scarcely  anything  like  trial,  except  the  longing  to  be  more 
lively  and  spiritual.  There  seems  a  divine  couleur  de  rose 
over  everything.  I  feel  it  a  great  help  to  live  a  quiet,  retired 
life.  The  Lord  prospers  me  in  my  desire  to  avoid  being 
engrossed,  carried  away,  or  overburdened.  A  happy  prayer- 
meeting  to-night.  Give  help  and  blessing  for  the  coming 
Sabbath. 

'  13'^  June. — Thursday  night. — Helped  and  encouraged  to- 


355  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

day  in  various  ways.      The  little   note    I    sent  to   the   

seems  to  have  been  blessed,  and  to  have  found  favour.  Dr.  B. 
writes  very  kindly  and  thankfully  about  it.  I  met  to-day  with 
a  record  of  my  longings,  many  years  ago,  for  revival  on  my 
soul  and  ministry  :  "  That  I  may  preach  differently,  be  more 
full  in  setting  forth  Christ,  more  fearless  in  unfolding  the  law, 
more  faithful  in  rebuke,  more  tender  in  entreaty,  more  winning 
in  persuasion,  have  more  singleness  of  purpose,  more  devoted- 
ness  to  my  work,  more  seriousness  in  public,  less  levity  in 
private,  more  willingness  to  work,  and  yet  find  that  work  does 
not  weary,  nor  labour  fatigue."  I  fancy  these  are  very  much 
my  desires  to-day.  Perhaps  there  is  little  now  of  the  levity  of 
early  days.  I  cannot  work  now  as  then.  But  there  is  still 
the  desire,  and  it  is  a  far  greater  cross  to  hold  in  and  forbear, 
than  it  would  be  to  give  rein  and  rush  on.  What  I  desire 
now  is,  that  it  may  not  be  an  occasional  and  passing  impulse 
of  grace,  but  a  continuous  habit,  a  walking  in  the  spirit,  and  so 
not  fulfilling  the  lusts  of  the  flesh.  I  think  I  know  now  better 
what  I  ignorantly  asked, — singleness  of  purpose.  I  know  more 
of  the  impurity,  the  subtle  mixture,  the  cleaving  of  self  to  all 
we  do.  It  is  the  sediment,  the  dark  shadow ;  but  Christ  can 
deliver  men  from  this.  I  find  it  a  great  secret  of  uninter- 
rupted peace  and  life  not  to  go  on  working  at  anything  till  the 
soul  becomes  jaded,  and  conscious  communion  is  broken.  It 
needs  much  watchfulness  and  self-denial  to  avoid  this.  I 
should  stop  at  once,  and  wait  on  the  Lord.  "  I  count  all 
things  loss,"  etc.  This  is  the  secret.  I  have  been  thinking  of 
the  infinite  originality  and  variousness  of  God's  contrivances  in 
His  works  and  ways.  How  wonderful,  how  admirable  is  God  ! 
'  i^ih  June. — Friday  night. — Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  I 
never  really  looked  to  Thee  without  being  lightened.  I  never 
waited  on  Thee  without  getting  renewal  of  strength.  I  bless 
Thee  for  this  quiet  day,  and  for  the  pleasant  upspringing  of 
hope  in  my  soul.  It  is  the  peace  which  passeth  understand- 
ing, for  I  cannot  explain  it ;  but  the  God  who  has  given  it  now 
can  give  it  again. 


QUIET  THOUGHTS.  357 

'  Z2d  June. — Saturday  morning.  —  During  the  night  I 
thought  of  Ephes.  vi.  :  "  Stand  therefore,"  etc.  "  That  ye 
may  withstand  in  the  evil  day,  and  having  done  all,  to  stand." 
Stand  before,  stand  in,  and  stand  after  the  fight.  This  stand- 
ing is  a  most  important  thing.  It  implies  wakefulness,  pre- 
paration, watchfulness,  determination,  faith,  and  calmness. 
The  timid  and  fearful  flee ;  Elijah  stands.  We  stand  in  grace 
before  God  (Rom.  v.  2).  Am  I  standing  this  morning?  Then 
let  me  hold  on.  I  suppose  this  is  implied  in  Gideon's  little 
troop ;  they  stoop  down  and  lap  the  water,  but  are  ready  in  an 
instant  to  resume  the  standing  position  ;  so  may  I  be  in  re- 
gard to  earthly  things,  only  stooping  for  a  moment  and  sip- 
ping a  little  for  refreshment.  Yet  there  is  a  lying  down. 
Ps.  xxiii. :  "  He  maketh  me  to  lie  down."  But  this  is  safe ;  we 
rise  strengthened  and  hopeful,  and  He  is  watching.  Help  me 
to-day  to  prepare,  and  do  Thou  bless,  greatly  honour. 

'  2\th  June. — Monday  evening. — Yesterday  was  peaceful. 
Some  comfort  in  preaching ;  but  a  deep  conviction  that  it  is 
the  hand  of  the  Lord,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  that  awakens, 
convinces,  saves.  Hear  now  of  the  work  of  God  at  Tullibody. 
No  house  without  some  awakened.  When  will  the  Lord  visit 
us  ?  May  I,  in  the  power  and  liberty  of  faith,  seek  this  one 
thing.  Let  me  not  run  before,  but  wait  and  renew  my 
strength.  Evening. — Some  unexpected  encouragement  to- 
day. Help  me  to  live  for  Thee,  under  Thine  eye.  Let  me 
walk  in  the  life  and  light,  and  dwell  within  sight  of  the  new 
Jerusalem.     Let  my  days  be  a  jubilee. 

'  2$t/i  June. — Tuesday  morning. — Trials  of  faith  last  night, 
and  failing  where  I  have  often  failed.  But  checked,  and  en- 
abled somewhat  to  make  head  against  the  evil.  I  feel  this 
morning  how  little  I  know  of  the  word,  and  how  often  I  for- 
get and  lose  the  benefit  of  what  I  do  know.  I  look  to  Thee 
for  seasonable  help,  for  watering  every  moment.  Let  the  Re- 
membrancer aid  me  seasonably  and  effectually.  Thy  word  is 
spirit  and  life. 

'  26th  June. —  Wednesday  morning.  —  Peaceful   yesterday. 


358  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Help  me  in  writing  and  preparing.  Yet  reminded  several 
times  that  evil  is  within  me  and  without,  and  that  I  need  the 
watering  every  moment.  Hold  me  in,  hold  me  up,  and  so  I 
shall  go  on  in  this  way.  Quicken  me.  "  Yet  learned  He 
obedience  by  the  things  which  He  suffered."  Let  me  learn  in 
the  same  way ;  and  may  I  not  cast  away  my  confidence,  or 
faint  when  I  am  tried.  Help  me  in  preparing  for  Sabbath, 
and  give  courage  and  hope. 

1  iZth  June. — Friday  morning. — How  much  we  feed,  or  try 
to  feed,  upon  ourselves,  our  own  works,  plans,  feelings,  fears, 
trials  !  But  the  Lord  says,  "  I  am  the  bread  of  life ;  come  unto 
Me  and  hunger  no  more,  believe  in  Me  and  thirst  no  more." 
God  is  satisfied  with  Him,  why  should  not  we  ?  Let  me  wait 
for  the  Lord,  so  shall  I  be  ever  full.  Let  me  not  wait  for 
earthly  things,  for  then  I  shall  have  constant  disappointment. 

'  29/A  June. — Saturday  morning. — I  know  the  Lord  is  deal- 
ing with  me  in  the  way  of  merciful  chastisement.  In  one  case 
He  is  starving  a  besetting  sin,  and  withholding  gratification. 
He  is  taking  the  work  of  mortification  into  His  own  hand.  I 
kiss  the  rod ;  and  yet  I  believe  that  He  will  restore  these 
naturally  good  things,  when  I  can  safely  enjoy  and  use  them. 
Let  me  wait  and  mark  His  hand.  In  another  case  He  has 
given  the  rein  for  a  moment  to  my  evil,  that  I  might  see  how 
lively  it  still  is,  and  that  I  might  be  stirred  up  to  faith  in  a 
crucified  Lord,  to  watchfulness  and  prayer.  David  prays,  "  Cast 
me  not  out  of  Thy  sight."  Jonah  says,  "  I  am  cast  out  of 
Thy  sight ;  yet  I  will  look  again  toward  Thy  holy  temple.'' 
Last  night  reading  Dr.  Marsh's  Life  ;  a  truly  sunny  Christian, 
taught  and  blessed  of  God.  But  I  read  too  long,  and  had 
to  hurry  to  bed,  and  I  suffered  for  it.  Communion  with  the 
best  of  God's  people  will  not  compensate  for  the  loss  of  com- 
munion with  Himself.  "  Let  your  moderation  be  known  unto 
all  men."  But  we  have  an  Advocate  and  a  fountain.  If  the 
blood  of  bulls  and  goats  gave  Israel  confidence  and  boldness 
to  worship  in  the  earthly  temple,  surely  the  blood  of  Christ 
ought  to  give  us  boldness  and  confidence,  ought  to  give  us  a 


NIGHT  MUSINGS.  359 

good  and  purged  conscience.  I  wait  for  God,  my  soul  doth 
wait. 

'  I  feel  that  I  have  sinned  Hezekiah's  sin  to-day.  I  know 
not  what  spirit  I  am  of.  Lord,  forgive,  heal,  spare,  and  make 
me  watchful,  self-denying,  henceforth. 

1 2d  July. — Tuesday  morning. — Yesterday  was  a  busy  day, 
both  in  home  work  and  in  meeting  with  friends.  It  was  also 
comparatively  peaceful  and  happy.  But  last  night,  while  lying 
awake,  I  saw  much  hollowness  in  it ;  a  good  deal  unintentionally 
of  Hezekiah's  sin,  and  little  direct  conscious  fellowship  with 
the  Lord.  Self  sadly  interrupts  and  mars  the  living  with  and 
for  the  Lord.  I  like  these  night  thoughts.  Peter's  "  Lord,  save 
me ! "  struck  me  much  ;  also  what  Paul  speaks  of,  as  one  end  of 
Christ's  death,  to  take  away  the  middle  wall  of  partition,  and 
make  Jew  and  Gentile  one  new  man ;  and  again,  John,  that 
He  should  die  to  gather  into  one  the  children  of  God  who  are 
scattered  abroad.  Satan  is  the  scatterer  ;  Jesus  the  gatherer : 
the  former  breaks  down ;  the  latter  heals  the  breach. 

t6th  July. — Saturday  afternoon. — A  short  season  of  dark- 
ness, witheredness,  and  bondage.  It  was  trying;  but  I  was 
enabled  in  a  measure  to  possess  my  soul  in  patience.  In  the 
morning  before  I  rose,  I  felt,  most  unexpectedly,  a  gracious  melt- 
ing of  soul;  the  cloud  was  lifted ;  my  soul  could  again  work  freely. 
This  has  continued  more  or  less  up  to  this  time.  I  am  thank- 
ful and  encouraged,  and  I  hope  for  good  to-morrow.  Letters 
about  the  Conference.  I  had  hoped  to  keep  out  of  it,  not  being 
strong ;  and  my  wife,  most  dear  and  needful  to  me,  little  fitted 
at  present,  from  weakness,  for  the  stir  and  toil  always  connected 
with  it.     Lord,  guide ;  make  willing  to  see  Thy  will  and  way. 

'  12th  July. — Friday  night. — On  Wednesday  in  Edinburgh, 
at  Moody  Stuart's,  attending  a  meeting  of  ministers  for  prayer 
and  conference.  It  was  solemn,  interesting,  useful.  Some 
valuable  suggestions,  and  desire  and  hope  of  blessing.  Yester- 
day, help  in  drawing  up  programme  of  Conference.  May  the 
Lord  guide,  help,  and  prosper !  To-day  busy,  but  rather  feeble, 
and  some  temptation.      Benefit  from  reading  Dr.  Leifchild's 


360  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Life,  though  it  is  far  from  being  my  beau  ideal.  Give  me  more 
and  more  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit  in  constancy  and  power.  May 
I  not  grieve,  vex,  or  quench  Him. 

'  \6th  July. — Tuesday  7tioming. — Saturday  quiet.  Sabbath, 
a  temptation  in  the  morning,  but  enabled  to  overcome,  and 
the  rest  of  the  day  strengthened  and  upheld.  Yesterday,  weary 
and  somewhat  feeble.  This  morning  refreshed,  but  sensible 
that  sin  has  revival  too,  and  watches  its  opportunity.  I  desire 
not  only  to  live  in  the  Spirit,  but  to  walk  in  the  Spirit.  May 
my  heart  be  ever  right  and  honest  with  God.  How  apt  we 
are  to  think  and  act  as  if  He  were  like  ourselves  ;  yea,  we  are 
more  apt  to  fear  and  honour  our  fellow-men  than  the  Lord ! 
How  hateful  and  vile  this  is  ! 

' 27th  July. — Saturday' evening. — Still  very  feeble;  a  con- 
stant growing  confusion  of  head,  with  pain  when  I  try  to  think, 
and  great  uneasiness  and  shrinking  when  unexpected  call  to 
effort  comes.  I  have  passed  through  similar  trials  before ; 
but  then  I  was  proud  and  evil,  and  so  was  pierced  through 
with  many  sorrows.  I  think,  indeed,  that  the  Lord  is  hum- 
bling me,  breaking  my  will,  abolishing  my  idols,  and  teaching 
me  obedience.  Lord,  help.  Thou  knowest  how  needful  Thy 
guidance  and  support  is,  when  we  are  going  down  into  the 
valley.  Let  not  my  spirit  fail,  and  the  soul  which  Thou  hast 
made;  but  restore  and  comfort  with  Thy  seasonable,  effectual 
visitations  and  revivings.  Help  this  day,  and  give  a  new 
song.  It  seems  like  martyrdom  going  on  in  this  weak,  help- 
less state  ;  but  Thou  givest  the  conquest  to  the  weak.  I  hear 
from  several  quarters  that  the  Lord  is  with  me  in  my  work, 
and  I  desire  to  be  encouraged  and  yet  to  be  humble.  "  When 
Ephraim  spoke  trembling,"  etc. 

'  1st  August. —  Tlmrsday  morning. — Yesterday  engaged  all 
the  day  at  very  blessed  meetings  with  the  General  Assembly's 
deputation  on  the  state  of  religion.  To-day  jaded  and  cast 
down.  I  feel  that  I  am  laid  aside  from  active  work,  and  foresee 
that  the  trial  will  be  great.  But  the  Lord  can  enable  me  to  sit 
still  and  wait.  .  .  .  Several  lessons  to-day ;  prayer  and  patience 


THE  CONFLICT.  361 


from  Curlie ; x  the  evil  of  giving  way  to  trial,  and  grieving  over 
it ;  the  blessing  of  occupying  ourselves  in  helping  others.  We 
then  forget  ourselves,  and  recover  a  measure  of  cheerfulness. 
Sensible  now  and  then  of  a  little  progress  in  subduing  and 
putting  self  away.  It  is  pitiable  and  ludicrous  how  it  wriggles 
itself  into  everything,  and  the  contemptible  roundabout,  recon- 
dite shifts  it  has  recourse  to  in  order  to  draw  attention  and 
give  the  impression  of  its  importance.  It  will  need  much 
discipline  and  constant  watchfulness  to  keep  it  down ;  but  it 
will  never  be  fully  removed  till  the  coup  de  grace  is  given  or 
the  redemption  of  the  body  comes. 

'  3d  August. — Saturday  morning. — Yesterday  a  very  bust- 
ling day,  visiting  the  sick,  and  a  great  many  friends  coming  in 
and  staying  till  near  midnight.  But  somewhat  kept  through 
all  the  stir.  Yet  failed  twice,  through  want  of  watchfulness 
and  determined  purpose.  We  cannot  continue  holy  except  by 
constant  conscious  fellowship  with  the  Lord. 

'  There  must  be  a  continual,  uninterrupted  dying,  that  the 
life  of  Jesus  may  be  manifested  in  us.  How  soon  we  weary 
and  relax  !  Thus  the  old  enemies  get  an  opportunity,  and 
then  shame,  doubt,  and  fear  prevail,  till  the  Lord  in  mercy 
restores.  Keep  me  henceforth  from  falling,  and  present  me 
faultless  before  Thy  presence  with  exceeding  joy.  It  seems 
impossible  at  present  to  realize  perfect,  everlasting  holiness. 

'  $t/i  August. — Monday  morning. — Yesterday  quiet.  Now 
leaving  home  to  go  for  quiet  to  Newport  for  a  fortnight.  May 
we  have  much  prayer  and  meditation  there  !  Keep  those  who 
go  and  those  who  stay,  and  give  a  new  song. 

'  "jth  August. —  Wednesday  morning. — We  did  not  get  away 
on  Monday  in  consequence  of  heavy  rain.  But  we  saw  the 
good  hand  of  the  Lord  in  the  delay.  Came  down  yesterday  in 
comfort ;  stood  within  a  few  feet  of  the  spot  where  Robert 
Annan  went  down  for  the  last  time.  A  man  who  was  throwing 
him  a  rope,  told  me  that  his  last  conscious  effort  was  to  push 


1  The  little  dog. 


362  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  drowning  boy  to  the  surface,  so  that  he  might  be  taken  up 
by  the  approaching  boat,  while  he  himself  went  down.  He  did 
not  live  in  vain,  far  less  did  he  die  in  vain.  He  was  one  of 
heaven's  nobles,  and  his  end  was  enviable.  But  all  the  glory 
was  the  Lord's,  who  took  the  devil's  burning  brand  and  made 
it  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord  for  ever.  Grant  us  grace 
to  serve  and  glorify  Thee,  O  Lord,  in  the  perfect  quiet  of  this 
place.     Prepare  blessing  for  Perth. 

'  gt/t  August. — I  feel  that  the  Lord  is  leading  and  keeping 
me  right,  notwithstanding  my  own  blindness,  un watchfulness, 
and  self-willedness.  I  have  many  evident  proofs  of  this.  I 
desire  never  to  murmur  or  despond,  but  quietly,  patiently  wait 
for  the  end  God  is  working  here.  I  have  seen  some  lately 
converted  lads,  the  inmates  of  a  bothy.  It  is  another  instance 
of  the  living  kindling  the  dead.  I  see  that  much  prayer  seems 
always  to  precede  conversion  work.  I  see  also  that  few  can 
bear  to  be  instruments  in  conversion,  there  is  such  a  tendency 
to  become  proud  and  lifted  up. 

'  16th  August. — Friday  morning. — I  have  been  learning  a 
good  deal  since  I  wrote  last.  Ups  and  downs,  temptations 
and  deliverances.  Give  me  the  abiding  use  of  this;  give  me  a 
new  name, — "  Christ-seeker,"  "  Christ-pleaser;"  take  self  away, 
and  do  it  as  Thou  seest  best. 

'  4I/1  September. — At  home.  Many  ups  and  downs  since  I 
wrote  last ;  some  feebleness  of  health,  but  a  good  deal  of  heart- 
searching  and  divine  teaching,  and  certainly  some  progress. 
I  have  been  asking  sunny  weather  for  the  sake  of  the  fruits  of 
the  earth ;  also  a  blessing  on  the  British  Association,  that  they 
may  get  light  from  on  high,  and  rise  from  the  lower  works  to 
the  Creator,  Preserver,  Redeemer  ;  also  for  a  great  and  varied 
blessing  on  the  Conference.  I  am  waiting  for  the  answers,  and 
know  that  they  will  come.  I  feel  strangely  kept  and  peaceful. 
These  words  are  meat  to  me  this  morning,  "  Abide  in  Me,  and 
I  in  you,  and  ye  shall  bring  forth  much  fruit ;  and  if  ye  abide 
in  Me,  and  my  words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will, 
and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you."     But  how  fickle  and  change- 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  CONFERENCE.  363 

able  my  heart !  If  I  say,  or  begin  to  feel,  that  by  God's  favour 
my  mountain  stands,  I  speedily  find  that  I  am  but  a  withered 
leaf,  a  rolling  thing  before  the  wind.  Much  pleasant  inter- 
course one  day  with  good  Mr.  Hargrove,  who  stopped  with  us 
in  passing.  His  has  been  a  strange  history;  but  he  has  learned 
very  much,  and,  like  a  stone  in  constant  motion,  has  become 
smoothed  and  rounded.  He  thinks  love  the  way  to  men's 
hearts.  May  my  heart  be  more  full  of  love  to  souls;  and  my 
words  more  dipped  in  love  !  I  must  be  dead,  and  Christ  must 
live  in  me  that  I  may  be  truly  useful  to  my  fellow-men. 

'  gt/i  September. — Monday  morning. — Still  moving  on  ;  a 
good  deal  of  occupation  in  preparing  for  the  Conference  ;  but 
strangely  kept  and  guided.  I  wonder  and  admire  the  long- 
suffering  of  the  Lord.  I  feel  that  I  am  in  the  border  land, — 
not  the  near  but  the  far  border ;  not  the  banks  of  the  Red  Sea, 
but  the  banks  of  Jordan.  I  feel  the  cross  proving  more  pre- 
cious ;  that  wondrous  cross,  where  God  and  man  meet,  right- 
eousness and  peace  meet,  where  things  in  heaven  and  things 
on  earth  meet.  Lord,  lead  and  guide  all  through  the  week, 
and  prosper  and  bless.    May  there  be  much  prevailing  prayer ! 

'  igt/i  September. — Thursday  morning. — The  Conference  has 
come  and  gone.  I  enjoyed  it  at  the  time,  and  the  benefit  re- 
mains. It  has  been  the  best  we  have  yet  had,  and  I  have 
got  more  personal  good  from  it,  and  not  been  much  wearied. 
There  were  things  that  threatened  evil ;  but  they  have  been 
turned  to  good,  and,  I  hope,  great  and  lasting  good.  Thanks 
and  praise  be  to  the  Master  of  assemblies  !  I  feel  that  His 
goodness  and  loving-kindness  are  humbling  me  to  the  dust, 
and  making  me  more  and  more  His  own  for  ever.  Let  the  old 
things  wholly  pass  away ;  let  self  and  love  of  sin  be  wholly 
gone;  and  let  me  anticipate  growingly  the  full  redemption,  the 
deliverance  from  the  bondage  of  sin,  and  the  being  brought 
into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God.  Felt,  in  studying 
the  69th  Psalm  yesterday,  in  a  way  I  had  never  done  before. 
There  was  the  sense  of  union  with  Christ  in  His  sufferings.  I 
had  fellowship  with  Him.     I  find  this  very  healthful. 


364  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

■  '26th  September. —  Thursday  morning. — I  have  had  much 
and  profitable  teaching  from  day  to  day  ;  much  to  humble, 
quicken,  and  make  me  watchful ;  but  a  growing  sense  of  the 
Lord's  love  and  care.  He  seems  very  near,  and  I  feel  that 
His  eye  is  upon  me,  and  I  like  to  have  it  so.  That  word, 
"  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God,"  seems  to  be 
getting  a  hold  upon  me,  and,  in  connection  with  this,  the 
word  duty.  I  feel  my  chief  concern  in  anything  should  be, 
not,  How  will  this  look  ?  How  will  it  tell  upon  my  interest  and 
comfort?  but,  How  will  it  affect  my  Lord?  Will  it  please, 
honour,  serve  Him  ?  May  this  abide  and  grow  till  God  be- 
comes all  in  all,  and  it  be  my  meat  to  do  my  Father's  will, 
and  help  on  His  glory  ! 

'  2d  October. —  Wednesday  morning. — Moving  quietly  on, 
and  getting  teaching  both  night  and  day.  Saturday  morning 
some  brokenness  of  heart,  yet  a  measure  of  self  in  it.  Sab- 
bath some  help,  but  over-driven.  Monday  night  called  out, 
after  I  had  undressed  to  go  to  bed,  to  see  a  girl  dying  appa- 
rently, and  in  deep  despair.  Her  cries  for  mercy  were  very 
affecting.  Tuesday  morning  found  her  exhausted  and  quiet, 
and,  I  believe,  the  cloud  passing  away.  May  what  we  saw 
and  heard  that  night  be  blessed  to  us  all !  I  have  been  think- 
ing about  the  office  of  the  evangelist.  It  is  Christ's  gift  to 
the  Church,  and  yet  it  is  neither  recognised  nor  much  used. 
Teach  me,  and  lead  me  into  the  truth  concerning  it.  May 
they  not  correspond  to  the  judges  in  old  times,  sent  forth  im- 
mediately by  God  ?  "  It  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to  direct 
his  steps."  We  err  by  running  when  we  should  sit  still,  and 
sitting  still  when  we  should  run. 

'  3d  October. — Thursday  eveiiing. — Weary  and  jaded  yester- 
day, and  so  tired  I  found  that  nature  and  the  flesh  take  advan- 
tage, and  so  old  sins  and  stumblingblocks  return.  But  also 
divine  kindness,  help,  and  deliverance,  and  so  I  desire  to  bless 
the  Lord,  and  to  hope  continually.  Give  me  constant  guid- 
ance, and  teach  me  to  seek  for  it,  and  expect  it. 

*  yth   October. —  Wednesday   morning. — Weary,  jaded,    but 


THE  RELIGION  OF  PATIENT  WAITING.       '   365 


quiet,  and  not  cast  down.  I  must  sit  still.  This  is  religion  at 
present.  Nature  and  the  flesh  would  drive  me  out.  But  this 
is  a  temptation ;  it  springs  from  unbelief,  and  looking  to  man. 
Christ's  yoke  is  easy  ;  just  sit  still.  Several  deaths  of  friends. 
Great  loss  of  property  at  Dundee  by  fire.  Our  Town  Council, 
against  the  remonstrance  of  a  faithful  minority,  resolve  to 
restore  the  drunken  booths  on  the  Inch  at  the  races.  Pros- 
perous drink-sellers,  holding  office,  and  having  influence  in 
the  church  !  Calamities  to  my  old  church  at  Calcutta.  Mr. 
Pourie  very  ill,  and  Mr.  Don  obliged  to  leave  charge  of  it,  at 
least  for  a  time.  Few  among  us,  I  fear,  thorough  and  simple 
on  the  Lord's  side.  Self-interest,  fear  of  man,  and  unbelief 
largely  rule  ;  but  the  Lord  ruleth.  He  doeth  His  will,  He  leads 
the  blind  by  a  way  they  know  not,  He  tries  and  strengthens 
their  patience.  It  is  good  to  wait  on  the  Lord,  and  to  hope  in 
Him.  I  would  learn  to  be  wholly  given  up  to  Him.  I  find  by 
experience  that  this  is  very  blessed.  I  have  been  trying  to  get 
my  way  most  of  my  life ;  and  had  I  got  it,  I  should  have  been 
destroyed  long  ago.  I  see  ceaseless,  marvellous  mercy  and 
patience,  and  I  desire  to  close  my  eyes  and  say,  Lead,  Saviour, 
lead. 

'  14/^  October. — -Monday  morning. — Still  kept  in  the  house 
by  illness  ;  but  enabled  to  preach  yesterday  with  real  comfort, 
and  so  thankful  and  peaceful.  Still  a  prisoner,  and  obliged 
to  give  up  thought  of  going  to  Mr.  Riddel  at  Dundee  on 
Thursday.  I  gratefully  feel  that  I  am  much  changed  in  these 
things,  and  can  quietly,  hopefully  say,  "Not  my  will,  but  Thine 
be  done."  Lord,  teach  and  help  me  to  count  all  things  small 
and  little  in  comparison  with  Thyself.  Write  Thy  law  upon 
my  heart ;  let  me  supremely  love  and  enjoy  Thee  ;  and  let  all 
creatures  be  enjoyed  in  Thee.  It  is  Thy  blessing  which  gives 
the  enjoyment  of  anything.  God  gives  a  heart  to  enjoy,  else 
our  possessions  are  only  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit.  With- 
out Thee  we  cannot  think,  do,  speak.  "  It  is  not  ye  that  speak, 
but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  that  speaketh  in  you."  "  Let  your 
speech  be  alway  with  grace,  seasoned  with  salt."    We  can 


366  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


only  pray  truly  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  cannot  see,  cannot 
hear,  without  the  Spirit.  Lord,  teach  me  in  all  things,  and 
help  me  continually  to  realize  it ;  so  shall  I  be  contented, 
thankful,  looking  only  to  the  Lord,  and  waiting  only  on  Him. 

'  \%th  October. — Friday  forenoon. — Feeble  in  body.  Bad  in- 
fluenza ;  but  able  to  visit  the  sick  yesterday,  and  to  walk  out 
a  little  to-day.  Very  happy  in  the  Lord,  who  is  literally  load- 
ing me  with  benefits,  and  making  me  ashamed  of  doubts  and 
fears.  It  is  the  race  week ;  but  I  am  unable  this  year  to  do 
anything.  The  little  book  about  the  Conference  is  published, 
and  selling  well.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  have  ever  felt  a  real 
solid  sense  of  bodily  weakness  till  now.  There  was  always  a 
feeling  of  latent  strength  which  had  only  to  be  called  out,  and 
it  would  appear.  It  seems  as  if  this  did  not  exist  now;  so  I  fall 
back  upon  the  Lord,  assured  that  "as  the  days,  so  the  strength." 

'  10th  October. — Sabbath  evening. — Helped  to-day  in  preach- 
ing, and  peaceful,  but  still  very  weak.  Help,  Lord,  in  prepar- 
ing for  coming  communion.  Give  suitably,  seasonably,  abun- 
dantly, both  in  body  and  soul. 

'  izd  October. — Tuesday. — Have  heard  of  good  received  from 
the  sermon  of  Sabbath.  I  feel  encouraged,  and  thankful.  Met 
with  a  man  who  has  long  been  doltish  and  stupid,  as  if  he 
had  not  a  soul.  He  is  now  ill,  and  appears  awakened,  and,  I 
trust,  really  calling  on  the  Lord.  I  have  hope  of  another  man, 
a  stranger,  who  seems  dying.  These  things  stir  me  up  to  hope 
for  great  blessing  on  the  coming  Sabbath,  our  communion. 

1  Tpth  October. —  Wednesday  morning. — The  communion 
seemed  a  blessed  time.  I  felt  it  helpful  and  strengthening. 
The  Lord  blesses  and  helps  in  various  ways.  But  I  am  sen- 
sible that  my  head  needs  complete  rest  for  a  little  ;  and  I  hope 
to  get  it.  I  think  the  Lord  is  drawing  up  and  fixing  my 
thoughts  upon  Himself,  as  on  a  centre  and  focus.  I  trust  this 
will  go  on,  and  that  I  shall  be  enabled  to  say,  "  My  heart  is 
fixed.  I  have  set  the  Lord  always  before  me.  He  is  at  my 
right  hand,  I  shall  not  be  moved." 

'  ist  November. — Friday. — Last  night  was  our  special  meet- 


FAINT  YET  PURSUING.  367 

ing  of  workers,  and  seems  to  have  been  hearty  and  useful.  The 
Lord  seems  to  have  guided  and  overruled,  and  I  believe  it 
will  help  to  quicken,  encourage,  and  knit  together.  It  was  a 
trial  to  be  absent ;  but  I  saw  the  Lord's  will  in  it,  and  I  had  a 
very  peaceful  night  while  B.  was  at  the  meeting.  Surely  the 
Lord  is  teaching  and  training  me. 

'  wth  November. — Bridge  of  Allan. — Monday. — We  have 
been  here  since  last  Monday,  and  have  much  enjoyed  and 
been  benefited  by  our  stay.  Both  soul  and  body  are  better. 
We  are  very  quiet,  alone,  very  much  with  God,  and  hope  to  be 
more  rooted,  grounded,  and  settled  than  we  have  ever  been. 
Many  thoughts  have  been  occurring,  and  subjects  opened  up  ; 
and  I  trust  the  Spirit,  the  remembrancer,  will  bring  them 
seasonably  back  when  they  can  be  followed  out  and  made 
useful.  At  any  rate,  it  shows  me  what  riches  the  Lord  has  to 
give. 

1  23d  November. — Home. — We  returned  on  Monday,  better 
for  a  season  of  quiet  and  rest.  The  Lord  seems  to  be  blessing 
the  flock.  There  have  been  some  interesting  meetings,  and 
both  minister  and  elders  are  hopeful. 

27th  December. — Friday. — I  am  still  utterly  weak  and  feeble. 
My  head  refuses  to  think  fixedly,  and  becomes  confused  and 
pained  the  moment  I  begin  to  urge  it  to  act.  There  is  no 
freshness  or  upspring.  It  seems  dead,  dry,  useless."  I  sus- 
pect that  this  is  going  to  be  a  longer  and  sorer  trial  than  I 
have  yet  suspected.  The  trial  is  increased  by  being  in  the 
midst  of  my  usual  work,  and  yet  absolutely  incapable  of  taking 
part  in  it.  My  rest  will  begin  when  I  am  able  to  say,  "  It  is 
the  Lord ; "  He  is  taking  His  own  way,  and  who  could  turn 
Him  back — who  could  wish  to  turn  Him  back  ?  I  would  not, 
I  do  not.  I  want  to  be  as  clay  in  His  hands ;  and  I  only  ask 
strength  and  patience  to  resist  the  suggestions  of  the  devil,  and 
the  words  or  looks  of  ignorant,  unsympathizing  men.  I  am 
sure  that  God  is  dealing  with  me  in  kindness,  and  leading  me 
in  a  right  way.  Close  my  eyes  and  say,  "  Lead,  Lord."  Let  me 
leave  off  struggling,  and  quietly  accept  the  chastisement  and 


36S  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

the  teaching.  I  have  been  delaying  the  blessing  by  my  efforts 
to  be  what  the  world  calls  "  myself"  again.  I  believe  the  Lord 
means  I  should  never  be  myself ;  and  I  am  losing  the  desire  to 
be  myself  again.  I  want  to  cease  from  the  past,  and  be  a  new 
creature,  a  new  vessel,  the  handiwork,  and,  perhaps  in  some 
way  yet,  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  I  pray  that  I  may  be  enabled 
to  accept  my  dispensation,  to  sit  still,  be  of  no  strength,  be 
helpless,  even  though  some  will  say  it  is  sloth,  self-indulgence.' 

In  all  these  journals,  as  in  his  letters,  the  single  eye 
is  manifest.  He  left  home  for  one  object;  he  went  to 
India  for  one  object ;  he  lived  in  Calcutta  for  one  ob- 
ject :  he  returned  home  for  one  object ;  and  this  one  object 
shows  itself  in  every  page  he  writes.  Toil,  reproach,  suffer- 
ing, self-denial  are  nothing  to  him  if  he  can  serve  Christ 
and  win  a  soul.  Power  with  God,  whereby  he  may  assail 
the  fortresses  of  the  Evil  One  in  that  land  of  idols  or  in  this 
land  of  worldliness,  is  what  he  seeks.  And  the  life  he  lives, 
so  high  above  the  common  rate  and  the  common  level, 
tells  how  thoroughly  in  earnest  he  is.  He  meddles  with 
no  politics,  he  mingles  in  no  strife,  he  seeks  no  promotion. 
If  he  approaches  the  governor,  it  is  to  plead  for  missions. 
If  he  goes  into  a  merchant's  counting-house,  it  is  with 
his  Bible  in  hand.  If  he  sits  down  at  the  tables  of 
the  rich,  which  he  but  seldom  does,  or  at  times  joins 
their  society,  it  is  as  Christ's  minister.  To  win  souls 
is  his  object — his  passion;  and  to  this  everything  must 
bend.  He  has  got  firm  hold  of  the  great  Bible  truth 
that  salvation  is  his  message,  his  mission ;  that  every- 
thing short  of  this  is  failure, — eternal  failure ;  that  '  ne- 
cessity is  laid  upon  him'  to  deal  with  men  personally 
about  their  immortal  welfare ;   and   hence   he  goes  out 


MINISTERIAL  POWER.  369 

and  in  as  one  believing  all  this.  He  goes  into  his  closet, 
and  he  comes  out  of  it,  as  one  to  whom  life  was  nothing, 
save  as  the  opportunity  for  serving  the  Master  and  winning 
souls.  He  knows,  too,  that  every  soul  won  to  God  is  not 
merely  a  sinner  saved,  but  a  citizen  gained,  a  new  element 
of  peace  and  order  and  love  infused  into  the  constitution 
of  the  realm,  a  new  security  found  against  mutiny  in  India, 
or  lawlessness  in  England.  Mutinies  abroad  may  not  be 
over,  revolution  at  home  may  not  be  far  off.  The  dread 
of  a  dark  future  is  coming  down  upon  many,  who  would 
rather  not  prophesy,  if  they  could  help  it ;  and  the  one 
hope  for  ourselves,  and  for  our  children,  lies  not  in  what 
men  call  progress,  or  culture,  or  the  diffusion  of  science, 

but  in  THE  REGENERATION  OF  INDIVIDUAL  SOULS  BY  THE 
POWER  OF  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

We  dwell  on  this,  not  simply  because  the  power  of 
the  pulpit  is  a  question  of  the  day,  but  because  both 
Church  and  world  have  crossed  the  line  of  a  new  era, 
and  are  passing  into  a  new  phase  of  thought  and  action. 
Materialism  is  in  the  ascendant, — materialism,  either  in  the 
form  of  that  rationalism  which  rejects  the  spiritual,  or  of 
that  ritualism  which  accepts  the  sensuous.  The  supernatural 
is  pronounced  incredible ;  and  for  this  reason  it  is  denied 
by  scepticism  and  welcomed  indiscriminately  by  super- 
stition. The  human  is  dislodging  the  divine,  the  visible 
the  invisible.  The  ministry  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  being 
supplanted  by  the  ministry  of  the  human  intellect.  For- 
malisms and  ritualisms, — the  one  the  embers  of  Judaism, 
the  other  the  dregs  of  Paganism, — will  not  serve  Satan's 
purpose  much  longer.      They  are   repulsive   to   modern 

2  A 


370  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

thought.  They  lack  reality  and  robust  manliness  and 
coherent  life.  They  are  productive  of  no  literature ;  they 
only  emasculate  and  degrade.  Yet  man,  instead  of  be- 
taking himself  to  the  one  oracle  of  truth,  is  falling  back 
upon  his  own  '  intuitions,' — upon  that  '  internal  revela- 
tion,' with  which  mysticism  and  infidelity  are  feeding  his 
pride,  and  beguiling  him  away  from  the  inspiration  of 
prophets  and  apostles.  The  'verifying  faculty'  which 
Rome  placed  in  '  the  Church,'  is  now  placed  in  the  indi- 
vidual intellect;  in  both  cases  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
Scriptures  and  the  rejection  of  the  power  of  God. 

Jerichos  are  thrown  down  by  rams'  horns.  Red  Seas 
are  severed  by  a  rod.  Giants  are  slain  by  the  sling  and 
stone.  So  was  it  before  the  '  foolishness '  of  the  gospel 
that  the  gods  of  Greece  and  Rome  fell  down, — a  gospel 
not  elaborated  by  Plato  nor  embellished  by  Demosthenes, 
but  simply  preached  by  one  whose  '  bodily  presence  was 
weak,  and  his  speech  contemptible.' 

The  power  to  please  may  be  found  anywhere ;  but  the 
power  to  seize  the  conscience,  and  bring  the  sinner  face  to 
face  with  his  own  worthlessness  and  condemnation,  must 
be  had  where  John  Milne,  and  William  Burns,  and  Robert 
M'Cheyne  sought  and  found  it, — in  simple  faith  and  happy 
fellowship  with  God.  The  'lightnings  and  thunderings 
and  voices '  that  are  to  shake  the  world,  must  come  '  out 
from  the  throne'  (Rev.  iv.  5),  and  the  illumination  of  the 
race  must  be  from  '  the  seven  lamps  of  fire,  burning  before 
the  throne '  (Rev.  iv.  5).  Other  lights  are  sparks  of  human 
kindling  (Isa.  1.  n),  and  go  out  in  darkness  ;  other  voices 
are  but  as  '  sounding  brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal.' 


CHAPTER   XVII. 
1868. 

HIS   LAST   MONTHS. 

WHEN  speaking  of  Christ's  second  coming,  Mr. 
Milne  said  once  and  again,  '  I  may  have  to  lie 
down  a  little  before  He  comes.'1  It  was  to  be  even  so  as 
he  said. 

Of  this  he  seems  to  have  had  some  forebodings,  for,  at 

1  In  one  of  his  last  note-books  he  has  the  following  broken  thoughts 
as  to  the  Lord's  coming  : — '  Nature  and  grace  cry  for  the  glorified 
Christ  to  complete  His  work,  to  rectify  disorders.  All  proclaims  and 
demands  His  return,  all  but  the  unsanctified  heart  of  man.  There 
alone  no  voice  is  heard  to  welcome  the  mighty  Stranger.  Dawn  is 
contemplated  with  hatred,  horror,  and  dismay.  Hearts  united  to  the 
world's  corruption,  how  will  they  hail  an  immortality  of  meekness, 
simplicity,  and  love  ?  Whole  hopes,  prospects,  and  calculations  bound 
up  with  the  fortunes  of  the  world,  how  will  they  bear  to  have  Him  per- 
sonally and  visibly  holding  the  reins  ?  We  marvel  that  He  tarrieth  so 
long.  Numberless  schemes  of  prophetic  chronology,  while  they  keep 
thoughts  engaged  on  it,  yet  serve  by  differences  God's  purpose,  and 
show  that  no  absolute  certainty  is  yet  vouchsafed.  Sure  of  event,  un- 
certain of  time, — knowledge  and  ignorance.  Dimness  of  light  leaves 
us  in  a  state  more  suitable  and  profitable  than  either  absolute  ignorance 
or  perfect  knowledge, — awakens  feelings  which  former  would  fail  to 
excite,  and  latter  would  quench  as  they  arose.  But  the  very  certainty 
which  was  meant  as  perpetual  stimulant  to  watchfulness  is  abused  to  se- 
curity, just  as  invisibility  of  God,  which  is  perfection,  leads  to  atheism. ' 


372  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

his  last  communion,  in  October  1867,  at  the  close  of  his 
sermon  (on  Heb.  ii.  14,  15,  death  and  deliverance)  he 
said,  '  Should  I  not  live  to  another  communion,  I  wish  you 
to  know  that  I  am  quite  happy.'  After  this  he  only  preached 
three  times.  His  last  sermon  was  on  the  transfiguration.  1 
In  the  beginning  of  January  1868  he  went  to  Edin- 
burgh for  medical  consultation.  Both  his  head  and  his 
heart  were  found  to  be  affected;  but  his  chief  suffering 
was  from  the  former.  His  depression  was  great.  The  fol- 
lowing is  his  own  statement : — 

1  Edinburgh,  57,  Queen  Street. — Friday,  ijth  January. — We 
have  been  here  for  more  than  a  week.  Professor  Henderson 
says  that  diseased  action  of  the  heart  is  the  cause  of  the  fear- 
ful headaches  from  which  I  have  been  suffering.  He  enjoins 
absolute  rest  and  abstinence  for  three  months,  at  least,  from  all 
duty  and  brain  work.  I  fancy  I  am  beginning  to  improve  a 
little  under  his  treatment ;  but  there  are  many  backgoings  and 
sinkings  of  heart.  There  are  many  and  sore  trials  :  sitting  still 
when  I  used  to  be  active,  silent  where  I  used  to  speak;  being 
misunderstood  by  friends  who  see  the  outward  appearance  of 
health,  and  know  not  the  inward  sufferings,  the  aching,  con- 
fused, and  powerless  head,  the  inability  to  think,  speak,  or 
write  for  a  few  moments,  with  the  loss  of  power  to  do  any- 

1  On  leaving  for  Edinburgh,  he  writes  to  his  colleague : — '  I  send 
you  the  list  of  the  class  of  young  men.  I  told  them  last  night  that  I 
am  going  away,  and  that  you  would  take  them  up.  It  is  a  sore  pang 
to  leave  them,  for  I  am  sure  that  there  is  among  them  the  "making" 
of  a  number  of  good  men.  We  shall  ever  remember  one  another  in 
our  diverse  circumstances.  We  go  to  Edinburgh  first ;  thus  far  we 
seem  to  see  the  Lord  leading ;  where,  afterwards,  we  cannot  tell.  It 
is  a  school  of  trial ;  but  we  have  been  in  it  before,  and  we  have  always 
found  that  the  Lord  is  very  gracious  and  merciful.  I  think  the  con- 
gregation is  in  a  very  living,  loving,  hearty,  workful  state.  The  Lord 
be  with  you,' 


FOREBODINGS.  373 

thing.  It  is  a  great  trial,  and  during  last  night  it  seemed  as 
if  I  were  going  to  faint  and  give  up  the  conflict.  But  that 
word  at  length  seemed  to  be  fulfilled,  "  Thou  hast  delivered 
my  soul  from  the  battle  which  was  against  me."  I  am  more 
cheerful  and  hopeful  to-day,  and  desire  to  go  in  the  strength 
of  the  Lord.  I  need  the  shield  and  buckler,  I  need  the 
powerful  upspringing  of  the  well  of  living  water.  I  ask  these 
things  for  Thine  own  glory,  and  for  the  help  and  comfort  of 
my  dear  wife,  who  has  suffered  and  is  suffering  so  much.' 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Milne  came  to  Edinburgh,  I  met  Dr. 
Henderson,  who  had  been  consulted  medically  as  to  the 
case.  I  remember  the  day  well.  It  was  a  gloomy,  wet, 
winter  twilight,  as  I  was  returning  home,  between  four 
and  five  o'clock,  along  the  South  Bridge.  I  learned  that 
the  case  was  a  very  serious  one,  hopeless  so  far  as  return 
to  ministerial  work  was  concerned ;  but  holding  out  the 
possibility  of  prolonged  life,  if  great  care  were  taken,  and 
entire  rest  secured.  I  saw  that  it  was  not  a  mere  return 
of  one  of  his  old  low  moods ;  but  that  some  deeper  evil 
was  at  work  in  his  system, — the  original  cause  of  these 
depressions  now  developing  itself  in  a  more  decided  form, 
the  stroke  received  fifty-six  years  before  now  working  out 
its  'long-resisted  results.  I  walked  onwards  with  sad 
thoughts,  wondering  if  now  John  Milne  was  to  be  taken 
from  us,  and  if  so,  was  there  to  be  any  record  or  memorial 
of  one  whose  life  had  been  so  signally  useful,  but  who,  in 
the  shape  of  authorship,  had  given  nothing  to  the  Church 
but  scattered  papers  written  in  various  periodicals,  likely 
soon  to  be  lost  sight  of.1     It  was  then  that  I  thought  of 

1  The  following  entry,  in  one  of  his  Indian  journals,  touchingly  re- 
cords his  own  feelings  on  this  point : — '  While  speaking  with  B.,  a 


374  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

collecting  into  a  volume  these  scattered  articles.  Being 
thus  minded,  I  went  to  him  next  day  and  laid  my  plan 
before  him.  He  evidently  liked  it ;  but  modestly  said 
that  it  would  not  do,  the  book  would  not  sell,  the  thing 
would  be  presumptuous,  he  could  not  venture  on  such  a 
volume.  I  told  him,  however,  that  I  would  undertake  to 
get  the  whole  thing  done  for  him,  if  he  would  just  give  me 
his  consent.  He  did  so,  and  we  resolved  to  proceed.  Mrs. 
Milne  had  carefully  preserved  copies  of  all  the  periodicals 
in  which  the  papers  had  been  inserted,  so  that  there  re- 
mained no  difficulty.  He  was  quite  willing,  though  still 
diffident,  to  let  me  go  on  with  the  arrangements  for  pub- 
lication, and  felt  that  it  would  be  a  pleasant  work  for  him 
to  carry  the  volume  through  the  press,  and  that  it  would 
almost  make  him  feel  that  he  was  still  useful,  and  still 

dart,  as  it  were,  pierced  my  heart.  The  sudden  thought  that  all  my 
ministerial  life  I  have  given  myself  to  visiting,  preaching,  dealing  with 
souls,  instead  of  studying  systematically.  I  have  prepared  nothing 
that  can  outlive  me,  and  my  work  must  cease  with  myself.  I  shall  be 
like  a  bubble  on  the  water.  It  was  bitter ;  but  I  think  I  was  willing, 
after  a  little,  to  be  a  hewer  of  wood  and  drawer  of  water,  a  door- 
keeper in  His  house.  Lord,  in  mercy  forgive,  wash,  sanctify,  use^me 
as  Thou  seest  good.'  But  even  though  he  had  not  given  us  his 
'gatherings,'  his  life  will  live  after  him,  and  his  works  do  follow  him. 
His  service  is  not  yet  done.  His  voice  is  not  yet  silent,  and  his  last 
sermon  is  not  yet  preached.  To  show  how  he  was  cheered  by  the 
thought  of  usefulness  through  the  press,  I  quote  the  following  note  to 
Professor  Smeaton  on  the  4th  February  1867  : —  'My  dear  Brother, 
— Thank  you  very  much  for  your  kind,  cheering  words.  I  don't  know 
how  I  have  got  so  much  connected  with  The  Revival  [magazine] ;  but 
your  note  encourages  me  to  go  on.  I  regret,  with  you,  the  strong 
and  frequent  advocacy  of  female  preaching,  which  I  regard  as  an 
unwomanly,  unnatural,  and  unscriptural  thing.' 


GATHERINGS  FROM  A  MINISTRY.  375 

able  to  speak.    Thus  he  wrote  to  me,  when  sending  the 
papers : — 

'  My  VERY  dear  HORACE, — Here  are  my  wife's  gatherings. 
But  I  am  quite  out  of  all  regard  for  them,  and  think  it  would 
be  presumption,  and  probably  serious  loss,  to  promote  them  to 
the  honour  you  spoke  of.  I  only  send  them  because  you  asked 
me  to  do  it.  It  is  kind  of  you  to  glance  at  them.  Just  let 
them  lie  beside  you,  and  we  can  pick  them  up  the  next  time 
we  come  to  you.  We  enjoyed  our  visit  so  very  much,  and 
were  greatly  the  better  for  it.  Pray  for  us  that  we  may  be 
strengthened  unto  all  patience,  and  especially  for  B.,  who  suffers 
more  than  I.  But  we  should  both  like  to  quit  us  as  the  fol- 
lowers of  a  crucified  Saviour.  Very  much  love  from  us  both 
to  you  all. — Very  affectionately  yours,  '  J.  M.' 

I  did  not  let  them  lie  beside  me,  but  set  about  arranging 
them  and  preparing  them  for  the  printer.  They  were 
printed  without  delay,  and  form  a  most  handsome  volume, 
which  has  met  with  warm  acceptance  in  many  quarters, 
and  presents  as  authentic  a  specimen  of  the  preaching 
of  Mr.  Milne  as  can  be  done  through  the  press,  in  a  case 
where  the  voice  and  the  tone  and  the  manner  contributed 
so  much  to  the  power  of  the  preacher's  message.  He 
cared  little  about  elaboration  and  style,  but  poured  out 
his  full  heart  and  well-stored  mind  in  words  which  critics 
might  carp  at,  but  which  admirably  expressed  the  speaker's 
meaning,  and  never  missed  the  mark.  If  point,  and 
directness,  and  vigorous  English,  and  vivid  illustration, 
and  well-expounded  truth  be  the  main  elements  of  pulpit 
power,  Mr.  Milne  possessed  them  all.  He  had  no  time  to 
polish,  and  he  had  no  wish  to  divide  his  hearers'  atten- 
tion between  the  figure  and  the  truth.     He  spoke  right 


376  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

into  his  hearers'  eyes  and  hearts,  using  great  plainness  of 
speech,  yet  speaking  oftentimes  with  amazing  power,  as  if 
discharging  a  whole  quiverful  of  arrows. 

'  Ambitious  not  to  shine  or  to  excel, 
But  to  treat  justly  what  he  loved  so  well.' 

In  the  message  the  messenger  was  lost  sight  of.  The 
word  was  everything,  the  speaker  nothing.  Yet  Mr. 
Milne,  had  he  chosen  it,  could  have  embellished  and 
elaborated ;  for  he  was  a  student,  and  a  scholar. 

But  he  eschewed  '  the  wisdom  of  words,  lest  the 
cross  of  Christ  should  be  made  of  none  effect'  (i  Cor. 
i.  17).  He  was  illustrative,  no  doubt,  in  his  preaching; 
but  he  knew  the  difference  between  figures  that  enforce 
and  figures  that  supplant  truth.  The  truth  was  foremost 
and  uppermost,  the  embroidery  was  subordinate.  With 
what  power  those  direct,  keen,  vehement,  yet  loving 
appeals  came  home,  those  can  best  tell  who  have  heard 
them.  They  were  resistless,  because  so  natural,  so  spon- 
taneous, so  unstudied,  yet  so  devoid  of  everything  that  was 
coarse  or  unpleasant  either  in  manner  or  in  language.  For 
his  voice  and  tone  were  thoroughly  natural.  No  one  could 
accuse  him  of  simpering,  or  whining,  or  speaking  in  a  fal- 
setto voice.  That  voice,  even  when  most  vehement  or  most 
tender,  was  always  his  own.  I  give  here  some  fragments 
for  ministers  contained  in  one  of  his  latest  pocket-books  : — 

'  Placed  on  the  bank  of  a  mighty  river,  which  bears  multi- 
tudes of  perishing,  our  business  is  to  ply  net  and  drag  to  extri- 
cate. Gracious  promises  of  success.  Leave  all.  Take  heed. 
Watchman!  .  .  .  Want  of  call.  Not  waiting  for  word  of  Lord. 
Not  knowing  and  not  declaring  whole  counsel.     Sloth,  fear  of 


HIS  FIRST  AND  LAST  VOLUME.  377 

man,  restraint  of  prayer,  want  of  Spirit,  because  not  in  sym- 
pathy, not  tending  flock,  not  dealing  closely.  .  .  .  Ministers 
should  be  able  to  show  register  of  spiritual  birth  and  of  divine 
call  to  office.  Have  mind  fully  made  up  to  live  to  God's  glory, 
to  live  faithfully  to  Church  ;  go  into  the  kingdom  himself,  and 
carry  many  with  him ;  purify  himself  as  Christ  is  pure.  Should 
go  about  work  with  Christ's  fortitude  ;  be  much  among  his 
flock ;  and  not  suffer  himself  to  be  discouraged.  When  things 
go  heavily,  it  may  profit  ourselves,  keep  from  presumption, 
make  acquainted  with  selves,  humble  before  God,  much  in 
prayer.  .  .  .  Heart  filled  with  Christ's  love  will  make  lively 
and  active,  bold  and  ready.  Let  not  complaining,  or  anything 
else,  choke  up  the  inexhaustible  springs.  ...  As  a  landed 
proprietor  will  often  put  into  court  a  protest  against  some 
invasion  of  his  rights,  though  he  knows  that  no  immediate 
good  will  result  from  it ;  so  a  minister  should  persevere  in 
bearing  witness  to  the  truth,  though  he  cannot  see  what  good 
it  will  do  ;  for  seed  cast  upon  the  waters  may  be  found  after 
many  days ;  and,  meanwhile,  he  has  delivered  his  conscience.' 

On  sending  him  afterwards  a  copy  of  the  volume  as  soon 
as  it  came  to  hand,  when  he  was  at  Morningside,  he  wrote 
to  me  briefly,  thanking  me,  but  still  expressing  fear  that 
he  had  done  a  presumptuous  thing.  I  expected  that  he 
would  be  cheered  by  it,  as  he  had  several  times  asked  me 
when  it  would  be  ready ;  but  he  was  rather  dull,  and  took 
it  quietly.  He  was  disappointed  that  I  had  not  written  a 
preface.  He  would  not  write  one  himself,  but  had  urged 
me  to  do  it.  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  do  a  thing 
which  seemed  as  if  I  were  recommending  one,  from  whom 
it  rather  became  me  to  receive  recommendation.  Besides, 
a  sad  foreboding  haunted  me  that  this  was  the  close  of  his 
work  on  earth ;  and  to  write  a  sketch  or  commendation 
of  him  before  the  time  seemed  unbecoming, — as  if  antici- 


378  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

pating  his  decease.  The  book  came  forth  without  a  pre- 
face ;  but,  in  truth,  it  needed  none.  It  will  become,  I 
trust,  a  fireside  volume  in  Scotland;  and  perhaps  India 
too  may  lovingly  accept  the  last  messages  of  one  who  took 
so  profound  an  interest  in  her  welfare  to  the  end. 

During  the  winter  I  saw  him  very  frequently;  for, 
though  we  dwelt  at  opposite  ends  of  the  city,  the  dis- 
tance was  not  great.  I  found  him  ever  the  same, — as  a 
friend,  a  Christian,  and  a  minister.  He  was  sometimes 
low  in  spirit  at  first ;  but  ere  ten  minutes  had  elapsed  he 
seemed  to  rise  out  of  his  depression,  and  the  visit  ended 
with  prayer  and  thanksgiving.  Many  a  pleasant  hour  did 
we  spend  together.  At  our  ministerial  meetings  at  Mr. 
Moody  Stuart's,  he  was  able  once  or  twice  to  be  present, 
and  to  take  part.  He  was  anxious  also  to  be  present  at 
our  prophetical  meetings  at  Captain  Shepherd's,  and  had 
fixed  to  accompany  me  one  evening,  but  found  himself 
unable.     His  note  of  apology  is  as  follows  : — 

'57,  Queen  Street. — Friday,  January  10,  1868. — My  VERY 
dear  Horace, — I  fear  that,  after  all,  we  must  deny  ourselves 
the  cherished  pleasure  of  being  with  you  on  Tuesday  night. 
It  is  the  only  kind  of  meeting  that  we  should  care  to  be  at ; 
but  it  seems  clearly  the  Master's  will  that  for  the  present  we 
should  abstain  from  this.  He  seems  desirous  that  we  should 
learn  brokenness  of  will,  and  obedience,  by  withholding  from 
things  which  are  to  us  good,  and  profitable,  and  enjoyable.  I 
am  sadly  weak,  both  in  body  and  mind,  and  possibly  my  case 
is  worse  than  we  yet  know.  But  the  Lord  is  with  us,  and  we 
know  that  He  careth  for  us,  and  manages  all  for  us,  from  hour 
to  hour.  Pray  for  us,  that  "  the  blessed  hope  "  may  have  a 
more  constant,  habitual  influence  upon  us.  Then  will  there  be 
no  more  feeble  minds  and  sorrowful  partings.     May  you  have 


ONL  Y  THE  ROCK.  379 


earnests  and  outshinings  of  the  coming  Lord  in  your  meeting. 
United  love  to  all  at  the  Grange.  We  hope  soon  to  reach  you. 
—Believe  me,  very  affectionately  yours,  '  J.  M.' 

On  the  9th  of  January  he  writes  to  Mr.  Cowan  : — 

'  My  dear  Brother, — We  got  here  on  Tuesday  night,  and 
on  Wednesday  we  went  to  see  my  old  and  valued  friend  Dr. 
Henderson.  He  came  to  the  same  conclusion  as  our  friend 
Dr.  Bramwell,  that  body  and  mind  are  completely  worn  out, 
and  that  a  considerable  season  of  entire  rest  is  absolutely  in- 
dispensable. Will  you  kindly  make  this  known  to  my  dear 
people,  and  also  to  the  brethren  of  the  Presbytery,  and  ask 
from  both  their  sympathy  and  prayers  ?  It  is  not  the  way  we 
should  have  chosen,  but  the  Lord  knows  best,  and  we  hope  to 
learn  obedience,  as  he  Himself  did,  by  the  things  which  we 
suffer.  Remember  especially  my  dear  wife,  who,  in  clinging 
to  her  broken-down  husband,  has  to  leave  behind  her  interest- 
ing home-duties  and  work.  I  grieve  to  throw  such  burdens 
upon  you  from  day  to  day.  But  you  are  young  and  hopeful, 
and  many  prayers  and  encouragements  will  cheer  and  support 
you.  I  know  the  Lord  is  loving  and  all-sufficient,  and  I  trust 
we  shall  yet  be  spared  and  brought  back  to  labour  with  you  in 
the  Lord's  vineyard.  You  will  see  from  this  brevity  that  I  am 
already  taking  up  the  yoke.' 

On  the  1 6th  of  January  he  writes  to  the  same  : — 

'  We  shall  be  with  you  in  spirit  at  this  time,  all  through.  I 
trust  you  will  have  a  very  refreshing  and  encouraging  season. 
...  I  must  walk  softly  with  the  Lord.  We  both  find  the 
Lord  teaching  and  upholding  us,  and  hope  to  gather  fruit  in 
the  valley.  .  .  .  What  a  life  this  is  ! — the  tossing  of  a  troubled 
sea;  but  the  rock  remains  firm  amidst  it  all.' 

On  the  first  Monday  of  each  month,  last  winter,  there 
was  a  social  gathering  of  all  Free  Church  undergraduates 
in  the  Presbytery  Hall,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Main  of  St. 


380  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Mary's.  There  was  a  large  attendance  of  students  ;  several 
ministers  and  elders  were  present.  Addresses  were  de- 
livered ;  conversation  took  place  ;  and  the  young  men 
were  then  introduced  to  one  another,  and  to  Christian 
friends  in  Edinburgh.  Mr.  Milne  felt  the  deep  importance 
of  the  meeting,  both  as  bearing  on  the  present  interests  of 
the  students,  and  on  the  future  welfare  of  the  Church.  No 
such  interest  was  taken  forty  years  ago  in  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  our  young  men.  They  were  wholly  neglected  ; 
left  without  any  spiritual  superintendence  in  the  midst  of  a 
great  city.  Mr.  Milne  expressed  his  desire  to  be  present 
at  one  of  those  meetings,  though  unable  to  take  part; 
and  he  had  agreed  to  accompany  me  one  evening.  But 
he  did  not  appear ;  and  next  day  he  sent  the  following 
note  : — 

'  57,  Qiceen  Street. — Tuesday. — My  very  dear  Horace, — 
I  was  too  weak  to  venture  to  the  meeting  last  night.  But  I 
thought  of  you  and  tried  to  pray.  I  trust  that  it  was  a  place 
of  decision ;  a  Bethel  meeting,  with  the  ladder  in  the  midst ; 
and  many  a  young  dreaming  Jacob  had  his  eyes  opened  to  see, 
and  his  heart  turned  to  choose  a  better  world.  I  trust  that 
parents'  prayers  were  answered,  and  that  trembling  hearts 
will  be  encouraged  by  the  results  of  that  meeting.' 

Finding  himself  tolerably  well  in  the  beginning  of  April, 
he  ventured  to  our  prophetical  meeting  at  Captain  Shep- 
herd's. It  was  a  very  solemn  and  profitable  evening.  Mr. 
Milne  felt  it  to  be  so,  and  enjoyed  it  exceedingly.  He 
took  part  in  the  conversation ;  and,  as  usual,  threw  in 
something  fresh  and  spiritual,  both  in  interpretation  and 
thought.  He  conducted  the  closing  services,  and  pro- 
ceeded some  length  in  a  most  interesting  exposition  ou 


PROPHETICAL  MEETING.  381 

the  last  three  verses  of  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  till  I  had  to 
remind  him  of  medical  orders,  and  to  request  him  to  spare 
himself.  I  have  seldom  done  anything  with  so  much  re- 
gret ;  but  I  felt  it  was  due  to  himself.  In  former  days, 
when  sitting  behind  him  in  the  pulpit,  I  had  often,  when 
he  had  got  the  length  of  an  hour,  or  perhaps  an  hour  and 
quarter,  without  compunction  tugged  the  gown,  to  inti- 
mate that  it  was  time  to  stop,  and  had  been  answered, 
with  a  pleasant  nod,  '  Just  a  few  minutes  more,  my  dear 
friend;'  but  now  he  yielded  at  once,  knowing  that  the 
excitement  of  speaking  might  be  fatal.  I  was  satisfied 
that  I  had  done  a  right  thing ;  but  I  never  look  back  on 
that  blessed  evening  without  regret,  feeling  as  if  I  had 
been  the  means  of  closing  his  lips  ere  God  had  closed 
them,  and  had  stopped  him  in  the  middle  of  his  last 
message.  The  prayer  with  which  he  summed  up  will  not 
be  soon  forgotten  by  those  who  heard  it. 

Feeling  himself  worse  latterly ;  often  borne  down  with 
unaccountable  depression  ;  afraid  of  what  this  might  end 
in,  and,  at  the  same  time,  not  unhopeful  of  restoration  if 
propeJy  cared  for,  he  desired  to  be  put  under  partial 
restraint  for  a  time.  I  saw  him  more  than  once  at  this 
time,  he  calling  for  me  and  I  for  him.  Though  perhaps 
a  little  dull,  he  was  just  the  same  in  other  respects ;  and 
we  walked  together,  talked  together,  prayed  together  as 
usual. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  letters  of  this  period, 
They  are  touching  in  the  extreme,  some  veiy  beautiful : — 

'  I  suppose  this  is  the  youthful  lesson  in  obedience  which 
was  omitted  in  my  early  education,  but  which  must  be  learned 


382  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

by  all  the  members,  old  and  young,  of  the  heavenly  family.  I 
wish  I  could  submit  to  it  in  this  light.  If  I  were  peaceful  and 
happy  again,  I  see  already  that  there  are  not  a  few  I  daily 
meet  to  whom  it  would  be  easy  to  speak  a  word  of  peace  and 
comfort  from  day  to  day.  There  are  many  broken,  bruised 
hearts,  some  in  absolute  despair.  If  one  could  speak  heartily, 
effectually,  of  the  blood  and  righteousness,  it  would  be  easy  to 
gather  a  harvest. 

'  I  try  to  anchor  myself  on  that  word,  "  for  the  present  griev- 
ous, yet  afterward  it  yieldeth  the  peaceable  fruits  ; "  and  so  I 
hope  that  this  will  turn  out  a  seed-time  both  for  here  and 
hereafter.  .  .  . 

'  I  got  good  from  the  25th  Psalm  to-day.  Also  from  Daily 
Light,  and  Here  and  There.  It  is  pleasant  to  think  that  if, 
soured,  mortified,  disappointed  by  the  creature,  we  hunger  and 
thirst  for  God,  we  shall  be  satisfied.  I  have  seen  a  lark  in  a 
dark  close  garret  singing  so  cheerfully  on  its  little  bit  of  turf; 
why  cannot  I  ?  But  it  won't  do,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man.  Grace, 
conquering  grace,  can,  and  I  hope  will,  do  it.  .  .  . 

'  I  did  not  sleep  much  last  night,  and  was  afraid  that  it  was 
going  to  be  a  trying  day ;  but  I  was  agreeably  disappointed. 
About  breakfast  time  the  Lord  seemed  to  come  in  love  and 
favour  to  my  soul,  and  continued  with  me  to  the  end. 

'  I  was  happy ;  everything  prospered ;  I  had  many  opportuni- 
ties of  reading  and  speaking  with  people.  It  was  the  best  day 
I  have  had  for  months.  "  The  Lord's  hand  is  not  shortened." 
Let  us  trust  and  not  be  afraid.  My  dark  thoughts  are  away, 
and  I  am  again  hopefully  and  joyfully  pressing  on  to  the  city 
which  hath  foundations,  and  the  gathering  together  of  the 
saints  unto  the  Lord.  I  am  thankful  for  this  affliction,  and 
am  sure  that  in  no  other  way  could  the  Lord  have  done  me 
the  good  which  He  has  intended  me  from  eternity.  Covenant 
mercies  are  sure  mercies,  though  they  are  sometimes  long 
hidden  and  hindered ;  but  wait,  and  they  will  spring  up  and 
ripen.  My  head  is  not  strong,  will  never  be ;  we  shall  be  poor 
and  afflicted  ;  unfit  to  shine  in  the  concourse  and  clashings  of 


FRA  G ME  NTS  OF  HIS  LAST  DA  YS.  383 

men  ;  but  we  can  pray  and  keep  Christ's  word,  and  He  will 
come  to  us  and  make  His  abode  with  us.  .  .  . 

'  Yes,  I  know  weariness,  intense  weariness ;  but  I  try  to  think 
of  Him  who  knew  it  too.  I  am  often  inclined  to  say,  Where- 
fore hast  Thou  made  all  things  in  vain  ?  But  I  know  this  is 
my  infirmity.  He  will  not  always  chide,  and  the  captive  exile 
shall  not  die  in  the  pit.  I  find  much  scripture  opened  up  and 
brought  home ;  the  passages  serve  their  purpose,  and  then  pass 
away.  Thank  you  for  reminding  me  of  Joseph.  I  have  often 
thought  of  him  ;  like  him  the  iron  enters  into  my  soul.  But  if 
we  learn  obedience,  we  shall  never  regret  the  schooling.  We 
shall  wonder,  adore,  and  praise  the  patience  and  care  of  Him 
who  takes  so  much  pains  to  train  and  educate  us.  .  .  . 

'  Yesterday  Horace  and  Andrew  Bonar  called  and  were  very 
kind.  Just  now  I  have  a  parcel  from  Horace,  containing  a 
few  books,  one  of  them  my  own,  which  I  suppose  will  be  out 
immediately.  May  the  Lord  take  it  up  !  I  feel  like  the  Jewish 
matron,  when  her  son  was  born, — "  Ichabod."  .  .  . 

'  I  have  been  reading  a  valuable  book  from  Dr.  Bonar,  Sav- 
ing Truths  of  Christianity,  by  Luthardt,  a  German  professor. 
It  is  very  good,  except  that  it  is  Sacramentarian.  Also  another 
book  from  him,  Man's  Renewal,  by  Austin  Phelps.  But  I  find 
my  head  very  feeble,  and  fear  this  is  to  be  my  thorn  and  trial, 
till  thorns  and  trials  are  done  away  in  the  world  of  rest.  .  .  . 

I  enjoy  so  much  the  30th  Psalm  ;  it  just  suits  me.  I  am  not 
anxious  how  we  shall  get  on,  when  I  am  able  to  return  to  social 
life.  I  have  confidence  in  God,  and  am  sure  that  He  will  make 
all  smooth  and  easy.  It  has  been  a  new  and  sorrowful  experi- 
ence ;  but  I  think  I  have  learned  many  things  which,  afterward, 
will  turn  to  profit.  .  .  . 

'  I  try  hard  to  think  that  all  that  has  happened  is  the  open- 
ing up  of  the  covenant,  and  it  is  a  comfort.  "  Be  of  good 
courage,"  etc.  ;  "  Be  glad  in  the  Lord,"  etc.,  suit  me  to-day. 
God  is  seeking  to  humble  us,  and  we  must  try  to  be  meek  and 
lowly.  .  .  . 

*  I  have  a  solemn  feeling  in  the  thought  of  returning  again 


3S4  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


to  society.  I  tremble  at  the  thought  of  going  again  into  the 
vortex.  But  "  My  grace  is  sufficient,"  sustains  me,  and  the 
thought  that  it  will  not  be  long.  May  we  have  a  little  gleam 
of  pure,  domestic,  heavenly  peace,  ere  we  are  parted  again  !  . . . 

'  Grace,  mercy,  and  peace  be  with  you.  May  the  Lord  dwell 
in  us  both,  rule  in  us  both,  minister  to  us  both,  and  then  we 
shall  be  truly  one,  though  still  divided  !  I  believe  this  will  be 
a  profitable  time  to  us  both,  though  for  the  present  there  is 
often  weariness  and  heaviness.  But  it  is  one  of  the  "all 
things." 

'  Forgive  the  blots  in  the  former  page.  I  have  just  been 
thinking  that  if  we  are  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  we  ought  to 
do  everything  thoughtfully,  carefully,  worthy  of  God. 

'  I  pray  that  the  Lord  in  mercy  may  give  a  quiet  season  in 
the  earthly  home,  ere  He  takes  us  to  the  true  home. 

'  I  am  longing  to  know  a  little  of  "  being  made  perfect  by 
suffering,"  and  becoming  a  partaker  of  His  holiness.  My  life 
has  been  a  sadly  broken,  intermitted  one ;  but  I  know  I  have  a 
complete  and  perfect  life  in  Christ.  "When  the  Lord  turns  my 
captivity,  He  will  show  us  what  to  do.  He  never  does  things 
by  halves.  Look  at  the  end  of  Job,  Nebuchadnezzar.  The 
valley  of  Achor  is  a  door  of  hope.  The  Lord  is  with  us,  and 
will  appear  for  our  help  in  due  time.  .  .  . 

'  I  see  from  many  things  that  God's  word  is,  "  Rest,  be  still," 
and  I  try  to  submit  and  obey.  I  used  to  run;  I  must  learn 
now  to  walk.  My  heart's  desire  is,  that  the  Lord's  will  may  be 
done,  and  that  we  may  both  be  partakers  of  His  holiness.' 

Here  are  some  scraps  of  notes,  written  during  his  stay 
in  Edinburgh,  to  his  colleague  : —     . 

'  I  remember  you  continually  before  the  Lord.  Pray  for  me, 
that  I  may  not  fret  or  grow  weary,  but  be  enabled,  with  my 
dear  wife,  meekly  to  bear  the  affliction  of  Christ,  for  His  body's 
sake.  This  view  is  what  really  best  reconciles  to  trial,  and 
carries  above  and  through  it.  ...  I  like  one  of  your  helps 
u  for  the  Church."     I  fear  our  well-meant  attempt  at  union  is 


SAD  THOUGHTS  ABOUT  THE  CHURCH.  3S5 

going  to  cause  wide  and  bitter  disunion  among  ourselves. 
Let  us  pray  daily  for  the  plentiful  rain  that  would  restrain 
and  quench  these  embers,  no  longer  suppositos,  but  open  and 
manifest,  which  are  causing  already  suspicion  and  estrange- 
ment among  dear  friends.  There  will  be  a  middle  party,  cry- 
ing for  delay.  Pray  for  us  ;  we  need  faith  and  patience. 
Help,  Lord  !  I  should  like  to  share  your  danger  and  labour, 
at  least  among  the  sick.  ...  2if  March. — You  are  right.  I 
often  long  to  leave  this  sevenfold  heated  furnace  of  restraint 
and  self-denial,  and  fly  back  to  Perth.  But  the  Lord  is  teach- 
ing me  to  say,  "  Not  my  will,  my  way."  Or,  if  I  try  to  presume, 
the  rod  soon  reminds  me  that  I  am  in  higher  and  better 
hands.  For  instance,  that  audacious  step  of  going  to  the  fore- 
noon meeting  of  Presbytery  [Edinburgh]  cost  me  too  much 
to  venture  on  a  repetition.  Yet  I  was  thankful  to  see  for  my- 
self the  spirit  which  is  prevailing.  It  is  very  bad,  very  sad ; 
and  I  fear  the  worst.  Our  friends  are  too  hot  and  excited 
calmly  to  meet  and  pray  before  the  Lord,  and  ask  the  sending 
forth  of  His  light,  that  they  may  see  how  little  reason  there  is 
to  quarrel  and  devour  one  another.  But  the  Master  knows  it 
all,  and  will  in  the  end  get  all  the  glory.  ...  I  think  the  Lord 
is  teaching  me  a  little  ;  and  I  hope  He  will  spare  me  for  a 
little  to  help  in  His  work.  But  compelled  inaction  is,  I  think, 
the  sorest  of  all  trials.     Yet  the  Lord  can  strengthen  for  this.' 

On  Monday,  April  26th,  my  brother  Andrew  and  I 
spent  a  most  pleasant  hour  with  him,  partly  walking  and 
partly  resting ;  nor  would  he  have  us  part  without  prayer. 
On  coming  home,  I  sent  some  books  which  he  had  asked 
for,  and,  among  others,  his  own  new  volume,  which  had 
just  arrived.     He  sent  me  the  following  note  : — 

'  Tuesday. — My  very  dear  Horace, — Thank  you  and 
Andrew  very  much  for  the  kind  visit  of  yesterday ;  also  for 
the  books.  The  "  gatherings "  are  very  handsome  ;  but  they 
want  the  only  thing  I  cared  for, — your  introductory  brotherly 

2  E 


386  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

word.  Had  I  been  well,  I  dare  say  I  should  have  been  pleased 
with  the  volume ;  but  now  I  can  only  say,  Ichabod.  I  have 
been  reading  Faint  Not  with  profit ;  but  this  affliction  is  so 
universal,  deep,  and  crushing,  that  I  find  it  hard  to  realize  and 
rest  in  the  Father's  love.  But  I  know  it  is  all  right.  I  see 
reasons  for  it,  and  perhaps  by  and  by  may  be  able  to  rejoice 
in  it.  Thank  you  very  much.  Love  and  best  wishes  for  you 
all. — Yours  very  affectionately,  'JOHN  MlLNE.' 

On  the  i st  of  May  he  began  a  new  diary;  but  the 
entries  in  it  are  few.  The  following  are  some  fragments. 
They  show  the  same  spirit  of  faith  and  love  as  in  all  the 
previous  journals,  but  they  exhibit  more  of  the  depression 
which  was  settling  down  upon  him  : — 

'  I  long  for  the  seeking,  trustful  heart,  concerned  for  the 
glory  of  the  Lord.  Show  me  Thy  ways,  teach  me  ;  but,  above 
all,  lead  me.  Remember  Thy  mercies  ;  remember  not  my  sins. 
Thy  mercies  are  older  than  my  earliest  sins.  Let  me  encourage 
myself  in  the  Lord.  He  is  good  and  upright ;  He  will  guide 
the  meek,  and  all  His  ways  are  good.  "  The  secret  of  the 
Lord," — this  is  for  friends.  David  got  it,  and  it  comforted 
him  in  trouble.  I  greatly  need  to  be  assured  that  all  my 
present  afflictions  are  the  evolutions  of  an  eternal  counsel  of 
love.  Strengthen  me  to  wait  meekly  and  patiently  for  the 
end.  If  I  become  partaker  of  God's  holiness,  I  shall  to  all 
eternity  rejoice  and  praise.  But  the  heart  rises  and  rebels, 
and  I  fret,  and  try  to  take  myself  out  of  God's  hand.  Lord, 
help  me  to  lie  passive.  I  have  seen  the  lark,  in  some  dark, 
close  hovel,  sitting  on  its  little  handbreadth  of  turf,  and  singing 
its  cheerful  song.  Why  should  not  I  be  such?  Now,  Lord, 
help  me  this  day.  I  lift  my  soul  to  Thee,  not  to  man.  I  expect 
all  good  from  Thee.     I  wait  for  Thy  time  and  way. 

'  May  3d. — Perfection  is  the  goal  towards  which  God  is 
tending  in  all  His  dealings  with  His  people, — likeness  to  Him- 
self!    For  this  end  He  chose  them  in  Christ,  gave  them  to 


RESTING  IN  GOD.  387 

Christ,  redeemed  them  in  Him,  in  due  time  calls  and  severs 
them  to  holiness.  Already  they  are  perfect  in  His  sight;  but 
He  stirs  them  up  to  become  actually  so.  Let  me  be  diligent  ; 
ask  God  to  search ;  use  the  blood.  Holiness  is  happiness. 
Start  at  once  in  the  upward  course,  and  hold  on.  The  blood 
cuts  the  connection  with  the  past ;  don't  return  to  Egypt- 
Christ  has  taken  charge  of  that  (the  past) ;  it  is  in  His  tomb  ; 
don't  seek  to  bring  it  back.  Resist  the  devil,  doubts,  darkness, 
accusations.  Keep  your  heart ;  keep  out  error,  keep  in  truth. 
Lose  not  your  peace,  your  crown,  your  life.  Be  more  con- 
cerned to  be  really  good  than  to  do  great  things.  It  is  the 
greatest  of  mercies  when  our  house  on  the  sand  topples  down, 
and  we  escape,  naked,  bruised,  covered  with  shame,  from  its 
ruins.  The  Lord  sometimes  sensibly  delivers  men  up  to  the 
devil  for  a  season,  that  they  may  grow  in  grace.  He  did  it  to 
Job  ;  He  sent  His  people  into  captivity  that  they  might  know 
the  difference  between  His  kingdom  and  the  yoke  of  tbe  enemy. 
I  have  long  felt  the  duty  of  laying  aside  every  weight,  of  cutting 
off  the  right  hand  ;  but  I  have  delayed  and  procrastinated. 
But  now  the  Lord  has  done  it  for  me.  May  I  get  grace  to  see 
God's  loving,  wise  hand  in  this,  and  embrace  the  opportunity 
of  entering  on  a  new  and  higher  life.  Clear  the  way,  and  let 
me  start  fair ;  let  me  run  for  the  crown ;  let  me  wrestle,  watch, 
labour ;  and  let  none  come  between  me  and  the  crown.  Let 
me  never  forget  for  a  moment  how  unstable  I  am,  or  how 
strong  is  the  hold  of  the  power  of  darkness.  .  .  .  Pride 
and  self-will  are  like  the  law ;  they  drive  on  without  mercy, 
and  give  no  help  nor  support.  Christ  leads  gently,  and 
supports. 

'  There  is  a  fulness  of  time  and  ripeness  in  all  God's  ways  ; 
and  happy  are  they  who  patiently  wait  for  it.  But  this  is  very 
hard.  We  are  doing  nothing  ;  perhaps  see  no  progress  ;  and 
our  heart  sinks.  Soldiers  find  it  the  hardest  part  of  the  battle 
just  to  stand  still  and  do  nothing.  Our  hasty  soul  cries, 
"  What  shall  I  do  ?"  and  the  answer  is,  "  Be  quiet  and  wait." 
This  is  the  trial  of  trials.     Abraham  knew  it ;  Christ  knew  it. 


38S  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

But  look  to  the  Lord  ;  expect  from  Him  ;  search  the  promises  ; 
in  due  time  they  will  speak,  and  not  tarry.' 

The  rest  of  this  little  manuscript  volume  is  chiefly 
occupied  with  brief  extracts  from  some  books  which  I 
had  lent  him,  one  of  which  was  Man's  Renewal,  by  Austin 
Phelps.  I  need  not  quote  these  extracts ;  but  I  give  here 
a  short  fragment  written  about  this  time  in  connection 
with  Christian  responsibility  : — 

'  I  must  be  faithful — to  men — to  my  trust.  I  know  not  why 
God  may  have  been  pleased  to  place  me  for  a  single  hour  in 
connection  with  others.  Their  happiness  for  eternity  may 
depend  on  that  hour.  Waste  no  hour.  Be  about  my  Master's 
business.  Seek  not  self.  Lord,  what  have -me  do  ?  my  question 
in  every  crisis  and  relation  of  life.  Many  temptations  to  be  un- 
faithful :  indolence,  selfishness,  worldly  distraction ;  much  sinful 
and  low  example.    Let  me  waste  no  more  of  my  Master's  goods. 

'  Realize  responsibility.  Have  to  give  account.  Let  house 
and  heart  be  in  order.  Every  day's  work  finished.  Soon 
judgment-seat,  where  we  shall  meet  souls  with  which  we  have 
been  connected.'  ' 

If  I  remember  right,  the  last  day  I  saw  him  was  Wed- 
nesday, 20th  May.  He  called  for  me  in  the  afternoon. 
We  had  some  pleasant  converse  alone  in  the  study  first, 
and  afterwards  with  some  friends  who  were  calling.  We 
walked  out  together  and  enjoyed  some  fellowship.  He 
talked  of  the  past, — his  own  early  years ;  and  then  of  his 
present  trial.  He  was  anxious  to  get  back  to  Perth.  I 
saw  him  that  same  evening  in  an  omnibus,  going  into 
town.  He  left  the  omnibus  at  Charlotte  Street,  and  bid 
me  good-bye  with  his  own  expressive  nod  and  kindly 
smile.  I  saw  him  no  more.  Nor  shall  we  meet  again  till 
the  resurrection  morning. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  CONFERENCE.        389 

His  last  public  service  was  in  the  Barclay  Church. 
After  the  Tuesday's  lecture,  he  was  suddenly  called  on  to 
pray.  The  prayer  impressed  many  who  heard  it.  It  was 
the  breathing  of  fervent  desire  for  the  Lord's  coming ;  the 
utterance  of  earnest  petitions  that  time,  and  years,  and 
every  obstacle  might  be  '  shovelled  out  of  the  way.'  The 
effort,  however,  excited  him  greatly,  and  he  suffered  for  it. 

On  the  Tuesday  before  his  death  he  attended  a  meeting 
in  connection  v/ith  the  Religious  Conference  at  Perth, 
suggesting  the  subjects  for  the  ensuing  one,  which  was  to 
be  held  on  the  first,  second,  and  third  days  of  September. 
On  the  following  Friday  he  filled  up  the  texts  suitable  to 
the  subjects ;  forwarding  the  needful  papers  to  others,  as 
he  felt  that  he  had  no  prospect  of  being  able  to  take  that 
part  in  the  Conference,  or  in  preparation  for  it,  which  he 
had  hitherto  done.1 

1  We  give  the  programme  thus  drawn  out  by  Mr.  Milne  : — 

'  Tuesday,  1st  September — Forenoon. 
•  FAITH. 
' Ephes.  ii.  8 :  "By  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith."  Heb.  xii.  2 : 
"  Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God."  Rom.  v.  1  :  "  Being 
justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God."  Acts  xv.  9  :  "  Purify- 
ing their  hearts  by  faith."  Mark  ix.  23  :  "If  thou  canst  believe,  all 
things  are  possible  to  him  who  believeth." 

'  AFTERNOON  AT  TWO  O'CLOCK  FOR  FREE  CONVERSATION. 

'  Subject — The  Gift  and  the  Ministry  of  the  Spirit. 

'Luke  iv.  17,  19:  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me."     Acts 

i.  8  :  "Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come 

upon  you."     2  Cor.  iii.  6  :  "  Ministers  not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the 

spirit."      I  Thess.  i.  5  :  "  Our  gospel  came  to  you,  not  in  word  only, 


390  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

A  few  days  before  his  death  he  was  calling  for  a  friend, 
who  expressed  a  hope  that  he  would  soon  be  better. 
'Thank  you,'  was  the  reply;  'weeping  may  endure  for  a 
night,  but  joy  cometh  in  the  morning,  and  it  wont  be 
long;''  referring,  as  he  often  did,  to  the  Lord's  appearing, 
and  our  gathering  together  to  Him.  He  lived,  latterly, 
very  much  under  the  power  of  that  blessed  hope.     He  did 

but  in  power  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost."     Zech.  iv.  6  :  "  Not  by  power, 
nor  by  might,  but  by  my  Spirit." 


'  Wednesday,  2d  September — Forenoon. 
'HOPE. 
*  I  Tim.  i.  I  :  "Jesus  Christ  who  is  our  hope."  I  Peter  i.  3  :  "  Be- 
gotten again  to  a  lively  hope."  Ephes.  ii.  12:  "Without  Christ, 
having  no  hope,  and  without  God  in  the  world."  Rom.  xv.  13  : 
"The  God  of  hope  fill  you  with  all  peace  and  joy  in  believing." 
Heb.  vi.  11  :  "We  desire  that  every  one  of  you  do  show  the  same 
diligence,  to  the  full  assurance  of  hope  unto  the  end."  Titus  ii.  13  : 
"Looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the 
great  God,  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  The  whole  creation 
waiteth  and  groaneth  for  this  hope.  It  sanctifies — it  is  an  anchor — 
a  life-buoy — a  helmet — a  light  in  a  dark  place. 

*  AFTERNOON  AT  TWO  O'CLOCK  FOR  FREE  CONVERSATION. 
Subject — Mutual,  brotherly,  co-working  0/ Ministers  with  other 
labourers,  who  may  come,  or  be  sent  to  their  aid. 


'  Thzersday,  2,d  September — Forenoon. 
'  LOVE. 
'  1  John  iv.  16  :  "  God  is  love."  John  hi.  16  :  "  God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  His  only -begotten  Son."  1  John  iii.  I  :  "  Behold 
what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us,  that  we 
should  be  called  the  sons  of  God  !"  Verse  11  :  "If  God  so  loved  us, 
we  ought  also  to  love  one  another."  Verse  19  :  "  We  love  Him,  be- 
cause He  first  loved  us."  ' 


HIS  LAST  WEEK.  391 


not  speak  much  of  it  to  those  who  differed  from  him ; 
for  he  thought  that  the  Lord  only  could  give  them  the 
seeing  eye,  and  that  their  seeing  how  it  comforted  and 
strengthened  him  would  impress  them  more  than  words. 
Yet  he  often  said  that  he  could  not  understand  how 
people  did  not  see  the  pre-millennial  advent  in  Scripture, 
and  that,  since  he  had  got  that  key,  he  had  found  his  way 
into  many  an  obscure  text.  This  was  after  his  return  from 
India ;  for,  in  the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry,  he  was 
somewhat  opposed. 

On  the  Friday  evening  he  strolled  with  Mrs.  Milne 
through  the  Grange  Cemetery,  and  returned  to  his  lodgings 
at  Spring  Valley,  Morningside,  certainly  not  worse.  Plans 
were  formed  for  going  abroad  as  soon  as  possible ;  and 
these  thoughts  occupied  him  on  the  following  Saturday. 
He  was  in  town  during  the  day,  and  returned  home  in 
the  omnibus  in  the  afternoon.  As  usual,  he  began  to  con- 
verse with  the  passenger  next  him,  who  happened  to  be 
one  connected  with  my  own  congregation ;  true  to  his 
Master  to  the  very  last,  and  carrying  out  to  the  end  of  his 
busy  and  consistent  life  the  principle  on  which  he  had 
acted  from  the  first,  of  speaking  some  word  for  Christ  to 
every  one  whom  he  could  possibly  reach. 

These  words  in  the  Morningside  omnibus,  to  the 
stranger  sitting  next  him,  were  his  last  spoken  in  the 
Master's  service. 

On  coming  in,  he  said  to  the  servant  that  he  was 
hungry,  and  asked  if  dinner  were  ready.  She  brought  it 
in,  and  waited  till  he  should  give  the  blessing.  Instead, 
however,  of  the  usual  kind  of  blessing,   he  said,   very 


392  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

strikingly  and  solemnly,  '  Blessed  are  they  that  hunger  and 
thirst  after  righteousness,  for  they  shall  be  filled.'  And 
truly  such  was  his  life ;  that  hunger  and  thirst  increasing 
more  and  more,  and  manifesting  themselves  with  greater 
intensity  during  the  last  months  of  his  course. 

On  Saturday,  the  30th  of  May,  he  thus  wrote  to  Mr. 
Cowan,  and  this  was  the  last  letter  he  wrote  : — 

'  Miss  Aird's  Lodgings,  Spring  Valley,  Momingside. — My 
VERY  DEAR  Brother, — You  have  been  a  brother  indeed  in 
this  time  of  trouble.  I  thank  you  for  your  sympathy,  your 
prayers,  and  many  substantial  acts  of  kindness.  You  have 
been  a  helper  and  comforter  to  my  dear  wife,  and,  best  of  all, 
you  have  been  feeding  wisely  and  prosperously  the  flock  of 
God  which  He  hath  purchased  with  His  own  blood.  I  am 
better,  but  not  strong,  and  we  are  living  quietly  here  for  a 
little,  till  the  Lord  opens  up  our  way.  We  have  been  passing 
through  great  and  sore  adversities  ;  but  it  is  the  Lord,  and  we 
seek  to  be  dumb.  I  thank  you  for  your  ever  welcome  letters, 
by  which  I  have  been  kept  informed  of  what  was  passing 
among  you,  and  have  been  trying  to  be  thankfully,  prayerfully 
present  with  you  in  spirit.  It  was  peculiarly  gratifying  to  find 
that  we  were  so  constantly  and  lovingly  remembered  and  men- 
tioned by  our  friends  in  prayer,  both  in  public  and  private. 
The  Lord  return  to  you  all  abundantly,  even  "  into  your  own 
bosoms."  The  annual  report  was  very  encouraging.  The 
Lord  continue  and  increase  the  prosperity,  both  spiritual  and 
material,  of  dear  St.  Leonard's  a  hundredfold.  How  easily  He 
can  do  it,  if  we  will  but  open  our  mouths  wide !  The  fountains 
are  full  and  overflowing,  and  He  is  ever  ready  to  open  the 
sluice.  "  He  hath  given  gifts."  .  .  .  How  quietly  the  Assem- 
bly seems  to  be  passing  away  !  When  the  Lord  gives  peace, 
who  can  cause  trouble  ?  Let  us  thank  Him  for  His  kindness 
at  this  present  time,  and  leave  the  future  to  His  wisdom  and 
love.' 


THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBL  Y.  393 

The  above  reference  to  the  General  Assembly  leads  me 
to  add  a  brief  remark  on  that  subject,  which  was  so  much 
upon  his  mind — union  between  two  of  the  Presbyterian 
bodies  in  Scotland.  Up  till  1867  he  was  decidedly  in 
favour  of  the  present  union  scheme  ;  and  I  find  in  his 
journal  one  or  two  expressions  of  dissent  from  myself  per- 
sonally in  this  matter.  But  in  the  beginning  of  186S  he 
became  persuaded  that  matters  were  not  ripe  for  union, 
and  that  it  ought  to  be  postponed.  He  wrote  his  views 
at  some  length  in  March ;  but  afterwards  destroyed  what 
he  had  written,  which  I  regret.  Not  that  they  altogether 
coincided  with  my  own  ;  but  they  were  the  words  of  a  man 
of  peace.  Delay,  and  prayer,  and  brotherly  conference 
were  the  things  he  wished  to  urge.  He  spoke  to  me  very 
freely  upon  the  subject;  but  I  would  not  venture  to  give 
what  might  appear  to  some  a  one-sided  report  on  so  deli- 
cate a  matter.  '  I  see  it  won't  do,  my  dear  friend,'  was 
his  frequent  conclusion.  He  was  thoroughly  a  man  of 
peace,  and  his  leanings  were  towards  union ;  so  much  so, 
that  at  the  time  of  the  revival  in  i860,  he  took  part  in  a 
meeting  in  one  of  the  Established  churches  of  Perth.  On 
the  2d  of  March  1868,  he  thus  wrote  to  one  of  his  elders  : 
'  What  is  going  to  become  of  our  poor  Free  Church  ?  I 
fear  we  are  on  the  eve  of  a  disruption  which  will  rend  us 
in  pieces,  ruining  our  usefulness,  and  making  us  a  scorn 
in  the  earth.  It  is  sad  for  all  lovers  of  peace.  We  need 
to  pray  much,  that  the  evil  spirit  which  has  already  begun 
to  work  may  be  cast  out,  and  that  we  may  be  preserved 
from  consuming  and  devouring  one  another.' 

On  the  morning  of  his  death  (May  31,  1868),  he  rose 


394  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

between  five  and  six  for  prayer,  as  he  frequently  did  ;  and 

then,  on  returning  to  bed,  asked  his  wife   if  she  knew 

what  psalm  they  were  to  read  that  day ;  they  being  in  the 

habit  of  reading  the  same  portion  of  Scripture  daily.     It 

was  the  57th,  a  great  favourite  of  his : 

'  Be  merciful  unto  me,  O  God, 
Be  merciful  unto  me  ; 
For  my  soul  trusteth  in  Thee, 

Yea,  in  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings  will  I  make  my  refuge 
Until  these  calamities  be  overpast.' 

He  then  asked  her  if  the  Lord  was  with  her  this  morn- 
ing, adding,  '  You  know  I  cannot  be  happy  unless  I  feel 
the  fove  of  God.'  Soon  after  he  rose  to  dress  in  the  ad- 
joining room  ;  but  after  a  little  returned  to  say  something 
that  would  tend  to  her  comfort.  He  then  went  back  into 
the  other  room,  and  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  afterwards 
a  groan  was  heard ;  the  servant  went  in  ;  he  was  found 
lying  on  the  floor  on  his  back,  not  having  finished  his 
dressing ;  but  his  dressing  materials  ail  neatly  put  aside 
in  his  own  careful  manner.  He  had  passed  away.  From 
prayer  he  had  gone  to  praise. 

His  Bible  lay  on  the  bed,  open  at  Ephesians  iii.  and  iv. 
He  had  been  kneeling  in  prayer,  for  the  bed  was  pressed 
down  on  each  side  of  the  Bible,  as  by  his  arms ;  suddenly 
his  heart  had  ceased  to  beat ;  he  had  fallen  backward ; 
his  eyes  open  as  if  looking  upward  ;  his  face  entirely  placid, 
as  if  there  had  not  been  a  pang  or  a  struggle.1 

1  In  connection  with  the  death  of  those  who  have  thus  died  alone, 
such  as  Dr.  Chalmers  and  John  Milne,  the  exquisite  words  of  the  great 
pagan  historian  Tacitus,  regarding  the  death  of  his  father-in-law  Agri- 
cola,  have  often  occurred  to  me,  though  he  was  one  of  those  who 


HIS  DEATH.  395 


He  died  not  at  home,  but  in  lodgings,  and  when  just 
preparing  to   move   elsewhere.      He   died  within   a  few 
minutes'  walk  of  the  house  where  Dr.  Chalmers  fell  asleep, 
twenty-one  years  before.     He  was  buried  in  the  Grange 
cemetery,  on  Friday,  June  5th  ;  not  far  from  Chalmers, 
and   Tweedie,    and   Cunningham,    and  Bannerman,   and 
M 'In tosh,  and  a  band  of  others,  like-minded  with  himself, 
whose  memory  is  blessed,  and  whose  names  are  household 
words.     It  was  a  bright  sunny  afternoon  when  we  laid 
him  down,   and  spread  the   green  turf  over  him.      Mr. 
Moody  Stuart,  in  that  memorable  prayer  offered  up  ere  we 
left  the  house  of  death,  had  dwelt  on  these  words  of  the 
Lord,  '  Father,  I  will  that  they  whom  Thou  hast  given  me 
be  with  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold  my  glory ; ' 
and  we  could  not  but  feel,  as  we  stood  in  that  graveyard, 
how  much  better  it  was  with  him  who  was  taken,  than  with 
those  who  were  left.     To  have  the  Lord  '  with  us '  here 
was  much ;  but  to  be  '  with  Him '  was  more  and  better 
far.     And  then  the  promises  summed  up  the  whole  :  '  Thy 
brother  shall  rise  again  ; '  '  Them  that  sleep  in  Jesus  will 
God  bring  with  Him ;  'They  rest  from  their  labours,  and 
their  works  do  follow  them.'     In  one  of  his  last  sermons 
he  spoke  these  words  :  '  You  are  troubled  about  that  thing 
death.     Well,  He  has  the  keys  of  death ;  He  is  Himself 
the  door ;  He  will  open  it,  and  when  you  are  at  the  other 
side  you  are  with  Him.' 

Some  men  God  raises  up  for  a  certain  work,  and  then 
sets  them  aside,  like  broken  vessels  ;  some  He  uses  to  the 

'  sorrowed  as  those  who  have  no  hope  : '  '  Paucioribus  tamen  lacrimis 
compositus  es,  et  novissima.  in  luce  desideravere  aliquid  oculi  tui.' 


396  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


last.  So  was  it  with  Rutherford  and  Whitefield  and  Chal- 
mers j  so  was  it  with  John  Milne.  He  was  made  use  of 
to  the  last.  '  I  began  my  ministry,'  he  said,  '  amid  revival ; 
so  amid  revival  may  I  pass  away.'  He  had  feared  a 
period  of  uselessness  •  he  was  spared  that.  God  took 
him  in  the  midst  of  his  work.1 

After  his  death  his  purse  was  found  full  of  sixpences  and 
fourpenny  pieces,  meant  to  be  given  away  to  the  poor. 
All  his  life  through  he  was  noted  for  his  generosity ;  and 
so  strong  did  he  feel  the  temptation  to  giving, — sometimes 
indiscriminately,  as  he  was  conscious, — that  he  was  afraid 
to  carry  a  purse  at  all.  He  could  not  say  c  no '  as  long 
as  he  had  any  money  in  his  pocket.  He  denied  himself 
many  things  that  he  might  give  the  more  away. 

I  close  with  a  few  extracts  from  letters.  The  first  is  from 
Mr.  Somerville,  one  of  the  few  remaining  members  of  that 
happy  brotherhood,  of  which  the  first  who  left  us  was 
Robert  M'Cheyne  : — 

'  Christ's  garden  on  earth  has  been  deprived  of  a  flower  of 
rare  beauty  and  sweetness  of  odour.     A  more  unselfish  and 


1  Since  Mr.  Milne's  death,  a  friend  writes  : — '  Having  to  travel  several 
times  up  and  down  between  Perth  and  Edinburgh,  one  of  the  railway- 
guards  was  always  very  attentive  to  me.  At  last  I  one  day  said  to 
him,  "  You  are  not  one  of  the  St.  Leonard's  people?"  "  Oh,  no,"  he 
said.  Then  I  added,  "  You  must  have  known  Mr.  Milne?"  "Oh, 
yes,"  he  said  in  the  most  tender  way,  "  almost  as  long  as  I  have  known 
myself;  and  I  am  so  sorry  for  him."  "Do  you  know  Mr.  Milne's 
Master  ?  "  I  ventured  to  say.  The  man  hesitated,  and  then  said, 
"No."  "Oh,"  I  said,  "why  don't  you  seek  Him  ?  why  not  try  to 
trust  in  Him?  I  am  sure  Mr.  Milne  must  have  told  you  to  do  so." 
"  Told  me  !  "  said  he  ;  "  ay,  many  a  time  he  told  me."  ' 


FAITHFUL  UNTO  DEATH.  397 


pure  spirit  than  that  which  our  late  friend  possessed  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find.  Christ  glowed  in  the  man  as  well  as  in  his 
preaching.  This  gathering  away  of  John  Milne,  James  Hamil- 
ton, and  William  Burns,  within  so  short  a  period,  warns  us  to 
be  ready.' 

The  second  is  from  a  Calcutta  civilian,  not  connected 
with  the  Free  Church  : — 

'  Calcutta  will  long  remember  your  husband.  I  doubt 
whether  it  ever  saw  a  Christian  of  equal  attainments.  Cer- 
tainly it  has  not  seen  many  such.  His  memory  is  green 
amongst  us  all.  For  ourselves,  we  shall  ever  think  it  one  of 
the  choice  privileges  of  our  lives  that  we  knew  him.  He  was 
one,  in  many  respects,  greatly  favoured  of  his  Master.  I  never 
saw  a  more  loving,  earnest,  unselfish  Christian.' 

The  special  characteristic  of  a  river  is  its  onwardness. 
Not  its  clearness,  or  depth,  or  breadth,  or  volume ;  for  in 
these  each  stream  differs  from  the  other ;  but  in  that  on- 
wardness which  is  common  to  all.  From  the  time  it 
leaves  its  source  till  it  reaches  the  sea,  it  is  moving  on. 
Such  is  the  man  of  God.  Such  was  Jobn  Milne. 
Through  much  warfare,  sorrow,  change,  —  still  moving 
on  ;  pressing  towards  the  mark  ;  often  weary  in  the  work, 
but  not  of  the  work ;  faithful  unto  death. 

'  /  know  thy  works,  and  charity,  and  service,  and  faith, 
and  thy  patience,  and thy  works ;  and  the-  last  to  be  more 

THAN  THE  FIRST/ 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

VARIOUS   YEARS. 
MISCELLANEOUS   GATHERINGS. 

WHEN  the  news  of  his  death  reached  Perth,  there 
was  sorrow  in  many  a  heart.  Men  of  all  churches 
and  creeds  felt  the  blow.  Outside  his  own  flock  there 
were  many  who  loved  him,  and  who  had,  in  their  hearts, 
looked  to  him  as  the  man  to  whom,  above  all  others, 
they  could  betake  themselves  in  the  day  of  sickness  or 
grief.  His  departure  had  suddenly  made  a  blank  in  the 
city. 

Many  were  the  testimonies  which  flowed  in,  respecting 
him ;  from  the  pulpit,  the  press,  and  the  private  letter. 
These  were  so  numerous  that  I  shall  not  undertake  to 
name  them,  far  less  to  print  them  at  length.  I  merely 
give  one  which  strikes  me  most.  It  is  from  a  London 
friend,  Mr.  J.  Calder  Stuart,  to  his  brother,  of  Scone,  in 
Perthshire  : — 

'  Oh  that  I  had  fuller  and  more  constant  intercourse  with 
you,  my  own  beloved  brother  !  But  for  you — and  just  one  or 
two  like-minded  followers  of  our  dear  Master,  whom  I  occa- 
sionally meet  in  the  city,  I  can  open  my  heart  to — I  should 


TRIBUTE  TO  HIS  MEMORY.  399 

really  feel  as  if  dwelling  in  Mesech,  and  sojourning  in  the  tents 
of  Kedar.  All  "  the  good  people  "  I  have  to  do  with  seem  to 
be  satisfied  with  the  discharge  of  their  outward  services,  which 
are  of  undeniable  importance ;  but  I  can't  win  my  way  into 
anything  like  spiritual  intimacy  with  any  of  them.  Cold  water 
— a  chilling  assent,  even  to  a  proposal  of  an  occasional  meet- 
ing in  private  for  prayer,  so  that  the  idea  drops  lifeless  ! 
Isn't  that  sad  ?  I  feel  this  just  at  this  moment  more  acutely 
(or  I  would  not  hurt  you  by  saying  what  I  do)  because  I  only 
learn  now — to-day — the  death  of  that  precious  man  Mr. 
Milne.  Your  paper,  with  its  touching  tribute  to  his  memory, 
reached  me  this  morning,  and  gave  me  the  first  news  of  his 
death. 

'  My  opportunities  of  personal  intercourse  with  that  dear 
saint  were  comparatively  few,  but  each  of  them  left  on  my 
inmost  soul  an  abiding  impression  of  the  most  elevating  kind 
— a  sacred  and  inexpressible  exaltation  of  spirit  into  an  upper, 
heavenly  atmosphere,  full-charged  with  all  that  could  stimu- 
late love  and  devoted  perseverance  in  following  the  Lord,  and 
serving  Him. 

'  The  very  last  time  I  saw  dear  Mr.  Milne  was  at  his  lodg- 
ings in  town  here  some  years  ago,  when  on  a  visit  with  his  ex- 
cellent wife,  and  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Jackson.  Very  pleasant  in- 
deed was  the  converse  ("  Such  as  God  approves." — Cowper)  at 
the  tea-table ;  and  I  remember  perfectly  some  beautiful  and 
affecting  words  of  his  on  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  My 
time  was  limited,  and  I  found  it  suddenly  exceeded.  I  had, 
therefore,  to  leave  abruptly.  He  showed  me  to  the  door  ;  but, 
somehow,  we  could  not  part ;  and  he  ran  back  for  his  hat,  and 
accompanied  me  out  on  my  way  home ;  but  we  turned  back 
repeatedly,  perhaps  for  an  hour ;  and  never  have  I  in  my  life 
had  such  an  hour  of  heavenly  intercourse  with  any  one.  I 
remember  perfectly  saying  to  myself,  when  reaching  home, 
"  What  a  place  must  heaven  be,  when  such  blissful  converse 
can  be  enjoyed  on  earth  ! " 

'  Some  veiy  remarkable  thoughts  of  his  are  well  remembered 


400  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

by  me,  with  regard  to  the  twofold  work  of  the  pastorate  :  some 
ministers  gifted  and  appointed,  as  it  were,  by  the  Lord  to  the 
express  work  of  winning  souls  to  Him;  others  to  the  distinct 
work  of  edifying  and  building  up  the  converted.  He  expanded 
the  theme  by  showing  its  applicability  to  Christians,  as  indi- 
vidual witnesses  and  labourers  for  extension  of  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom.' 

Mr.  Milne  was  content  to  be  '  a  fool  for  Christ's  sake.' 
His  was  a  very  unworldly  course  ;  and  many  had  the  im- 
pression that  he  was  not  at  all  a  thinker  or  a  scholar, 
whereas  he  was  both.  His  was  a  life  of  great  intensity 
and  simplicity,  yet  full  of  cheerfulness  and  love.  It  was 
the  life  of  one  to  whom  the  world  to  come  was  much ; 
this  world  very  little.  Yet  wherever  he  went  or  was,  he 
made  worldly  men  feel  that  he  was  a  friend,  that  he  loved 
their  souls,  and  cared  not  what  they  might  say  or  do  to 
him,  provided  he  could  win  them  to  the  Lord.  '  Not  soon 
angry,'  never  ruffled,  careless  of  praise  or  blame,  he  went 
about  upon  his  work,  taking  an  interest  in  every  being  he 
met  with,  man  or  child.  Some  of  the  things  which  looked 
peculiar  in  him,  were  the  doings  of  a  humble  and  unselfish 
man,  who  thought  himself  almost  unfit  for  any  service,  and 
would,  therefore,  throw  himself  into  work  which  others 
might  think  beneath  their  dignity ;  for  he  was  always  willing 
to  take  the  lowest  place  and  to  do  the  hardest  work.  Both 
at  home  and  in  India  we  find  the  same  consistent,  un- 
worldly, unconventional  life ;  the  life  of  one  '  not  con- 
formed to  this  world.'  '  We  try,'  he  writes  from  India, 
'  to  live  separate  from  the  world;  and  yet  we  seek  to  gather 
round  us  those  who  fear  and  seek  the  Lord.  This  is  a 
very  worldly  place ;  and  it  is  a  blessed,  though  a  difficult 


THE  LUXURY  OF  THE  TABLE.  401 

work  to  live  holily  and  self-deniedly.  .  .  .  Dinner  here  is 
late,  about  eight  o'clock;  but  we  never  go  to  dinner 
parties.  I  laid  down  the  rule  from  the  first,  and  stated 
it  openly,  in  answer  to  two  or  three  early  invitations ;  and 
so  we  are  now  free  from  that  danger  of  distraction  and 
worldliness.'1 

He  often  said  that  he  thought  Luke  xiv.  12  was  quite 
opposed  to  the  party-giving  and  feasting  of  the  present 
day,  even  among  Christians ;  not  merely  because  the 
luxury  of  the  table  has  become  so  excessive,  but  because 
the  Lord  here  points  to  something  else  than  personal 
gratification  in  such  cases.  As  the  thirteenth  verse  could 
not  easily  be  carried  out  in  its  literality,  he  sought  to  act 
upon  its  spirit  by  giving  gifts  at  the  New  Year,  and  such 
times,  to  those  whose  means  shut  them  out  from  such 
comforts.  He  was  often  saddened  by  hearing  of  some, 
whom  he  believed  to  be  Christians,  going  to  the  world  for 
amusement  and  relaxation.  The  enjoyment  of  the  good 
things  of  this  world  did  not  seem  to  him  the  same  as  joy 
in  God.  The  true  human  side  of  Christianity  to  him  was 
that  in  which  he  could  follow  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  deny- 
ing self  and  bearing  the  cross.  He  did  not  need  the  world 
to  fill  up  any  void  in  his  being.  The  length  to  which  the 
luxuries  of  dress/and  food,  and  furniture  are  carried,  he 
felt  to  be  inconsistent  with  Christian  simplicity  and  self- 

1  Facile  contemnitur  clericus,  qui,  saepe  vocatus  ad  prandium,  ire 
non  recusat.  Nunquam  petentes,  raro  accipiamus  rogati. — Hieronym. 
ad  Nepotianum.  We  remember  a  minister,  called  '  evangelical, '  above 
forty  years  ago,  whose  accepted  dinner  invitations  averaged  five  a 
week  ;  and  another,  respecting  whom  it  was  said,  '  If  you  want  a 
visit  from  him,  you  will  have  to  ask  him  to  dinner.' 

2  C 


402  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

denial.  In  the  midst  of  these  the  salt  loses  its  savour,  the 
witness  for  God  becomes  dumb,  and  the  ambassador  of 
Christ  returns  home  with  a  heavy  heart,  feeling  that  he 
has  not  been  able  to  let  his  light  shine,  or  win  a  hearing 
for  his  Master. 

Yet  he  was  a  thoroughly  social  man,  and  could  not  find 
himself  near  a  single  human  being  without  entering  into 
pleasant  talk.  The  society  of  Christians  he  delighted  in ; 
Christian  conversation  in  company  he  tried  always  to 
cultivate ;  and  he  succeeded  in  this  above  most.  Hence 
he  felt  the  difference  between  Calcutta  and  Perth.  '  I 
think,'  he  writes  from  India,  '  the  feeling  of  isolation  here 
makes  me  think  more  of  the  family  of  God, — the  Church 
militant  throughout  the  earth,  sometimes  also  of  the 
Church  triumphant.  One  in  this  way  gets  into  a  large 
place,  away  from  the  coldness,  indiiference,  defects,  and 
often  follies  of  those  near  us.  It  helps  one  also  to  bear 
the  slow  progress  of  God's  work  in  our  particular  neigh- 
bourhood, when  we  think  it  may  be  going  on  prosper- 
ously elsewhere,  and  that  God  has  His  hidden  ones  whom 
He  can  at  any  time  bring  to  light.' 

He  was  afraid  of  too  much  religious  work,  too  many  re- 
ligious engagements,  too  much  religious  bustle.  Societies 
committees,  'social  meetings,'  Bible-readings,  are  good 
things,  but  they  may  be  unduly  multiplied.  '  I  should  like 
to  get  nearer  the  Lord,'  he  says.  '  I  feel  the  danger  of 
becoming  absorbed  by  religious  as  well  as  worldly  work. 
Nothing  can  make  up  for  the  withdrawal  of  God's  gracious 
presence.  His  favour  is  life.  How  kind  is  it  of  the  Lord 
to  restore  us  from  time  to  time  !     Without  this  we  should 


THE  LIFE  WITBIN.  403 

go  down  altogether.  I  am  quite  sure  that  it  is  indispen- 
sable to  spiritual  health  to  maintain  a  thankful,  hopeful, 
cheerful  spirit  in  all  circumstances.'  And  again :  '  I 
should  like  to  shut  the  eyes  of  sense,  and  to  cut  the 
sinews  of  carnal  feeling,  and  try  to  be  wholly  the  Lord's. 
Why  do  we  allow  anything  to  vex  tis  that  would  ?iot  vex 
Him,  or  to  please  us  that  would  not  please  Him  ?  When 
shall  we  be  able  to  say,  in  regard  to  all  connected  with 
our  fallen  estate,  I  am  dead,  nevertheless  I  live?  How 
would  He  feel,  act,  and  speak,  if  He  were  where  we  are, 
and  as  we  are  ? ' 

His  desires  after  higher  attainments  thus  get  vent  to 
themselves :  '  I  long  to  be  holy,  and  to  see  others  holy. 
We  must  live  nearer  the  Lord.  Nothing  will  compensate 
for  intercourse  with  Him ;  and  yet  we  daily  barter  it  for 
things  of  nought.  We  must  try  to  cultivate  attachment  to 
Christ.  It  may  be  cultivated,  it  may  grow  ;  and  then  our 
religion  would  be  a  more  living,  happy,  actual  thing.' — 
Again :  '  Oh  that  we  had  more  nearness  to  Him,  more  full 
and  manifest  communications  of  His  glorious  grace,  both 
in  private  and  public  !  Tell  me  something  about  your  own 
soul,  and  your  flock,  and  also  what  you  are  thinking  of  our 
prospects  at  present.  If  we  could  boldly  say  the  mighty 
God  is  on  our  side,  we  should  not  heed  the  rising  storms ; 
but  I  fear  our  heart  in  many  things  condemns  us.'1 

His  teachableness  and  readiness  to  judge  himself  by 

what  he  saw  in  others,  thus  show  themselves  in  another 

note  to  the  same  :  '  I  have  just  been  at  a  meeting  of  my 

Sabbath-school  teachers.     I  wish  you  would  tell  me  what 

1  Letter  to  Mr.  Sornerville. 


404  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

you  do  to  encourage  and  strengthen  the  hands  of  yours. 
When  do  you  meet  with  them,  and  what  do  you  do  on 
these  occasions?  I  am  going  to  be  a  great  deal  more 
amiable,  since  I  saw  your  affectionateness  with  your  flock. 
"  Take  us  the  foxes,  the  little  foxes  that  spoil  the  vines." 
Do  you  find  use  for  this  prayer?  I  shall  remember  you 
to-night,  and  find  good  in  doing  so.' 

His  constant,  child-like  reference  to  God  in  every- 
thing, was  remarkable.  In  going  out  and  coming  in, 
he  consulted  his  heavenly  Father.  If  some  blessing 
had  come,  he  would  at  once  give  thanks.  If  some 
difficulty  had  occurred,  he  would  turn  to  those  who 
were  with  him,  and  join  in  seeking  higher  counsel. 
Few  realized  so  fully  these  words  of  grace  and  duty,  '  In 
everything,  by  prayer  and  supplication,  let  your  requests 
be  made  known  unto  God.'1     In  private,  his  prayers  were 

1  Here  is  a  remarkable  letter  to  Mrs.  Sandeman,  regarding  the  list 
ot  girls  for  whom  and  with  whom  she  had  prayed,  dated  December 
1S65  : — '  I  was  much  affected  by  that  list  of  hundreds  of  names.  It 
seems  to  me  a  very  solemn  a^d  encouraging  document.  How  many 
souls  we  have  all  met  with  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  !  How  have 
we  felt  for  each  of  them  ?  What  have  we  done  for  each  of  them  ? 
What  influence  have  we  exerted  over  each  of  them  ?  Few  of  us,  I 
fear,  know  ;  few  of  us  have  kept  any  count.  You  have ;  and  there  is 
your  register.  How  many  of  these  were  never  spoken  to,  prayed  with 
and  for,  till  you  did  it  !  Thank  God  for  it  all.  It  is  very  encourag- 
ing, for  it  shows  the  truth  of  that  word,  ' '  To  him  that  hath  shall 
be  given;"  and  if  we  tiy  to  enter  in  at  the  open  door,  it  will  be 
opened  wider,  and  no  one  can  shut  it.  Sow  on,  pray  on,  love  on, 
and  soon  the  harvest  will  come,  and  the  crown.  You  speak  of  being 
solitary.  I  know  it.  So  was  the  Master,  so  was  Paul ;  he  says  :  "  I 
have  no  man  like-minded  who  will  naturally  care  for  your  state  ;  for 
all  seek  their  own,  not  the  things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's."    But 


SPIRIT  OF  INTERCESSION.  405 

striking  for  their  minuteness  of  detail ;  they  took  in  every- 
thing, great  or  small.  Even  in  public  this  was  carried 
out  by  Mr.  Milne  to  an  extent  which  few  are  able  to  do. 
His  ready  sympathies,  his  quick  apprehension  of  the  case, 
his  easy,  natural  language,  enabled  him  to  give  utterance, 
before  God,  to  feelings  which  all  assembled  shared  in,  but 
which  hardly  another  man  could  have  expressed.  So  irre- 
pressible was  this  spirit  of  intercession  and  consultation, 
that  it  came  out  in  strange  places  and  circumstances  ;  on 
the  road  as  well  as  in  the  room,  in  the  railway  carriage  or 
the  waiting-room,  yet  always  without  obtrusion  or  osten- 
tation. He  felt  deeply  when  he  saw  or  heard  of  brethren 
deliberating  or  planning  without  this.  In  one  of  his  notes 
to  Mr.  Somerville,  this  sentence  occurs  :  '  I  was  surprised 
and  grieved,  on  Tuesday  night,  at  the  strange  difference 
of  opinion  that  existed ;  and  perhaps,  also,  that  there  was 
so  little  desire  to  look  up  for  counsel.'1 

there  is  sympathy  in  heaven  with  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost, 
with  ministering  angels,  and  with  the  redeemed,  who  now  know  the 
value  of  souls  and  the  Saviour's  love  in  a  way  they  never  did  on  earth. 
— Very  affectionately  yours,  'John  Milne.' 

1  There  are  one  or  two  veiy  brief  notes  to  Mr.  Cormick  of  Kirrie- 
muir, referring  to  the  state  of  religion  at  that  time,  which  may  be  here 
introduced,  though  a  little  out  of  place  : — '  I  feel  much  as  you  do  with 
regard  to  the  state  of  religion.  The  fault  lies  a  good  deal  with  our- 
selves. Who  shall  raise  up  Jacob,  for  he  is  low?  The  Lord  seems 
to  have  poured  on  us  a  spirit  of  deep  sleep,  and  we  are  willing  to 
have  it  so.  How  many  means  the  Lord  has  used  to  prevent  this !  but 
when  all  fails,  He  at  length  says,  "  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your  rest." 
Which  of  us  is  not  meriting  the  rebuke,  "  What,  could  ye  not  watch 
with  me  one  hour?"  I  find  help  in  my  ministry,  and  a  considerable 
degree  of  peace  in  my  mind,  and  a  few  tokens  that  the  Lord  still  is 
working  some  souls,  and  not  leaving  Himself  without  a  witness.     But 


4o6  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Samuel  Rutherford,  and  the  men  of  his  day,  both  in 
Scotland  and  England,  frequently,  in  subscribing  their 
letters  to  friends,  added  an  expression  significant  of  the 
conscious  common  bond  between  them  and  their  corre- 
spondents. Whitefi eld  and  his  followers  did  the  same.  In 
Robert  M'Cheyne's  letters  this  was  frequent,  though  not 
invariable, — as,  '  Yours  till  glory  dawn ;'  or  '  Ever  yours 
till  Jesus  come ;'  or  '  Ever  yours  in  the  gospel ;'  or  '  Ever 
yours  in  Jesus.'  Generally  his  letters  ended  with  '  Yours 
affectionately,'  or  '  Yours  faithfully,'  in  the  usual  way.  In 
William  Burns'  letters  we  find  more  of  this  '  peculiarity.' 
Here  are  some  signatures  from  his  old  letters,  now  lying 
before  us:  'Yours  in  the  Beloved;'  'Wishing  you  con- 
formity to  the  Son  of  God,  yours  always ;'  '  Yours  always 
with  brotherly  love  ;'  '  Yours  in  haste,  with  the  affectionate 
desires  of  a  cold  heart ;'  '  Yours  in  Emmanuel.'  A  letter 
to  me,  dated  June  9,  1847,  °ff  Portsmouth,  on  board  the 
'  Mary,'  for  Hong  Kong,  ends  with  '  Yours  ever  in  Jesus 
our  hope.' 

For  this  '  peculiarity,'  Mr.  Burns  was  called  to  account 
by  some  of  the  members  of  the  Aberdeen  Presbytery  in 
1 84 1,  when  the  committee,  appointed  by  that  Presbytery, 
examined  him  as  a  witness  in  reference  to  the  revivals  of 
that  period.  The  matter  is  thus  put  before  him :  '  Do 
you  not  think,  with  reference  to  this  letter,  and  another  to 
the  convener,  dated  April  13,  1841,  that  signing  letters 
"  Yours  in  the  Lord,"  and  "  Your  humble  servant  in  the 

my  heart  fails  when  I  think  of  the  general  appearance  of  things. 
There  seems  a  great  and  growing  backsliding,  and  I  don't  know  where 
it  is  to  end.' 


SIGNATURES  TO  LETTERS.  407 

gospel,"  thus  introducing  sacred  words  and  names,  contrary 
to  common  usage,  and  in  connection  with  words  which  in 
themselves  are  not  matter  of  fact,  but  are  notoriously 
matter  of  mere  compliment,  does  not  tend  to  edification?' 
Mr.  Burns'  answer  to  this  interrogation  is  as  follows:  'I 
do  not  use  the  words,  "your  humble  servant,"  to  which  you 
allude  when  you  say  "  words  of  mere  compliment,"  in  the 
manner  which  you  here  suppose ;  and  as  to  the  expres- 
sions, "in  the  gospel,"  "  in  the  Lord,"  I  may  just  say,  that 
though  these  expressions  are  not  in  general  use,  yet  they 
have  been,  and  still  are  not  unfrequently  used  by  the 
ministers  and  people  of  God ;  and  though  there  is  un- 
doubtedly a  great  danger  of  our  using  them  without  good 
ground,  or  if  on  good  ground,  yet  with  formality  and  light- 
ness, still  I  do  conceive  that  their  use  cannot  be  univer- 
sally condemned.' 

These  expressions  Mr.  Milne  seldom  used.  His  letters, 
long  or  short,  generally  ended  with  '  Yours  faithfully,'  or 
'  Yours  affectionately,'  or  some  such  natural  utterance  of 
warm  love  to  the  friend  he  was  writing  to. 

His  thoughts  were  those  of  a  fresh  and  ever-working 
mind ;  but,  still  more,  of  a  spirit  in  continual  fellowship 
with  God,  and  sympathy  with  His  word.  They  were 
thoroughly  artless,  without  effort,  without  desire  to  say 
a  striking  thing,  or  to  win  praise  for  himself.  His  con- 
versation was  most  lively  and  genial ;  no  frivolity,  yet  no 
moroseness ;  always  attractive,  often  quite  original ;  full 
of  interesting  illustrations,  both  of  story  and  of  figure,  in- 
terspersed with  choice  adaptations  of  Scripture  to  the 
points  conversed  over. 


4o8  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

Sometimes  he  would  advance  an  opinion,  or  state  a 
case,  quite  expecting  your  concurrence.  You  differed 
from  him  very  decidedly,  and  could  give  good  reasons  for 
differing.  He  would  not  argue  nor  resist.  He  was  not 
in  the  least  ashamed  to  give  way.  He  listened  to  you; 
gave  the  due  force  to  your  statement ;  and  in  his  own 
quick,  decisive  way,  said,  'You're  right,  you're  right,  my 
dear  friend ;  I  see  that  I  was  wrong.'  How  pleasant  the 
memory  of  these  conversations,  ended  generally  with 
prayer,  and  carried  on  with  such  ease  and  frankness  ! 

One  night  (many  years  ago)  we  drove  together  from 
Perth  to  Collace,  about  seven  miles.  It  was  dark,  but  the 
stars  were  bright  above  us.  He  spoke  of  their  beauty,  and 
wondered  how  any  one  could  doubt  that  they  were  in- 
habited. He  was  asked  for  proof,  and  he  gave  for  this 
the  simple  fact  that  they  existed,  asking,  what  was  their 
meaning  if  there  were  no  dwellers.  On  the  road  we  passed 
several  houses;  and  without  referring  directly  to  the 
previous  part  of  the  conversation,  he  was  asked  whether 
these  houses  were  inhabited.  He  replied,  that  he  did  not 
know.  'What  is  their  use,  then?'  he  was  asked.  He  saw 
at  once  the  point  of  the  question,  and  acknowledged  the 
difference  between  the  '  inhabited '  and  the  '  inhabitable.' 
The  stars  were  '  habitable '  in  all  likelihood ;  but  are  they 
now  inhabited  ?  We  did  not  attempt  to  settle  the  question  ; 
content  to  set  it  on  its  legitimate  basis,  and  to  use  it  as 
the  subject  of  some  pleasant  mirth  in  after  days,  and  other 
walks  or  drives.  No  one  entered  more  heartily  into  such 
pleasantry  than  he,  whether  to  take,  or  to  give  the  retort. 

One  communion  Sabbath  he  preached  on  Elijah's  de- 


SEEKETH  NOT  HER  OWN  409 


spondency  (1  Kings  xix.  4),  a  most  solemn  discourse 
throughout,  but  without  that  exhibition  of  the  grace  of 
God  at  the  close,  which  was  fitted  to  meet  such  a  case. 
The  brother  who  assisted  thought  he  saw  a  deficiency, 
and  in  his  table  service  ventured  to  supplement  at  some 
length  what  had  been  left  out,  trusting  to  the  well-known 
frankness  and  forbearance  of  the  minister,  with  whom  he 
had  taken  such  a  liberty  in  his  own  church,  and  before  his 
own  people.  He  had  not  sat  down  before  Mr.  Milne 
grasped  his  hand,  and  exclaimed,  in  no  undertone, '  Thank 
you,  thank  you ;  you're  right ;  I  was  wrong.'  Not  one 
minister  out  of  a  thousand  would  have  borne  such  supple- 
menting, however  needful,  or  would  have  so  cordially 
thanked  the  supplementer.  Often,  in  after  days,  did  he 
refer  to  that  scene,  and  repeat  his  thanks.  So  little  did 
he  seek  himself;  so  desirous  was  he  of  being  set  right;  so 
devoid  was  he  of  that  pride  that  leads  many  of  us  to  defend 
a  false  position,  or  at  least  to  be  anxious  about  being  let 
down  softly. 

During  the  last  six  months  of  his  life,  when  laid  aside 
from  public  service,  he  felt  very  deeply  the  trial  of  not 
being  permitted  to  speak  or  work.  And  yet,  instead  of 
envying  his  stronger  brethren,  who  were  still  toiling  in  the 
field,  he  rejoiced  unfeignedly  in  them  and  in  their  work. 
Any  work  that  he  heard  of  done  by  others,  when  he  was 
thus  laid  aside,  cheered  him,  though  it  sometimes  called 
forth  a  sigh.  Every  word  he  was  himself  enabled  to 
speak,  every  tract  he  gave,  every  letter  he  wrote,  helped  to 
cheer  him,  as  making  him  not  feel  wholly  useless.  The 
proposal  to  publish  the  volume  of  '  Gatherings '  was  a  gleam 


4io  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 


of  sunshine  to  him ;  and  his  '  notes '  on  the  inside  of  the 
envelopes,  as  he  returned  the  proof-sheets  to  me  every 
second  day,  showed  that  he  was  cheered  as  he  went  along. 
Here  is  one  of  these  many  envelope  snatches :  '  Thank 
you  very  much.  I  thank  the  Lord  often  for  the  large  door 
he  has  set  before  you.  I  find  it  good  to  try  to  rejoice  in 
the  prosperity  of  others.  It  is  the  Master's  joy,  and  should 
be  mine.' — (March  13,  1868.) 

Inside  the  envelopes  in  which  his  sermons  for  the 
Christian  Treasury  used  to  come  to  me,  there  was  not 
only  some  loving  word,  but  some  line  of  hesitancy  or  fear: 
'  Do  I  bother  you  with  my  sermons  ?'  '  Am  I  not  writing 
too  much  ?'  '  Tell  me  if  I  should  stop.'  '  Do  you  think 
I  am  doing  any  good?'  *  Shall  I  send  you  any  more?' 
Such  were  the  messages  that  used  to  come  from  month 
to  month ;  thoroughly  characteristic  of  the  writer,  and  ex- 
pressive of  the  feelings  of  the  moment.  His  child-like 
happiness  on  being  told  of  good  done  by  these  sermons, 
or  on  approbation  being  expressed  by  Christian  friends, 
was  no  less  characteristic.  It  was  not  elation  nor  vanity ; 
it  was  not  any  idea  of  the  excellence  of  what  he  had 
written ;  it  was  the  pure  joy  of  having  written  something  that 
God  had  owned,  of  having  been  made  the  channel  of  con- 
veying a  drop  of  living  water  to  thirsty  lips.  Many  were 
the  letters  which  he  got,  thanking  him  for  his  words  in 
season,  and  great  was  his  gladness  in  receiving  these ;  nor 
in  that  gladness  did  there  mingle  any  element  of  vain-glory. 

Besides  these,  he  has  left  in  several  note-books  frag- 
mentary remarks,  criticisms,  and  imperfect  jottings.  They 
are  set  down  in  no  order ;  some  at  the  end,  some  at  the 


NO  TE-BO  OKS  AND  LE  TTERS.  4 1 1 

beginning  of  a  book ;  some  in  ink,  some  in  pencil ;  some 
fairly  written,  some  crossed  and  almost  illegible.  They 
are  very  like  what  used  to  come  out  in  conversation;  never 
tame  or  stiff,  often  happy  and  suggestive ;  seldom  in  the 
line  of  other  people's  thoughts,  even  when  not  striking. 

We  number  them  for  the  sake  of  order ;  but  they  are 
gathered  from  a  score  of  different  manuscripts  and  letters, 
unclassified,  and  generally  undated,  often  but  broken 
snatches  of  thought : — 

1 .  '  To  see  the  eternal  across  the  temporary  !  Live  on  ; 
pray  on  ;  hard  by  Jordan. 

2.  '  What  a  view  !  God  hanging  on  a  cross.  Hating  sin, 
loving  sinners. 

3.  '  Submission  to  the  will  of  God  is  the  end  or  object  of 
repentance.  If  the  sinner,  by  the  power  of  the  awakening 
Spirit,  reaches  that  point  in  five  minutes,  he  is  ready  just  then 
to  receive  mercy,  as  much  as  if  a  law-work  of  five  years  had 
gone  before. 

4.  '  We  can  only  get  Christ's  grace  by  getting  Himself.  He 
and  His  benefits  are  never  separated. 

5.  '  We  are  hindered  by  the  leaven  of  self-dependence.  We 
put  vows  and  resolutions  in  the  place  of  believing. 

6.  '  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  But  we 
grudge  God  the  blessedness  of  giving.  We  want  to  put  Him 
in  our  debt  by  bustling  and  running  to  and  fro.  There  are 
hundreds  of  Marthas  for  one  Mary. 

7.  '  How  much  (the  name)  "  Son  of  God"  implied,  may  be 
learned  from  the  hatred  and  opposition  which  it  excited  in  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees. 

8.  '  He  (Christ)  is  the  meeting-place  of  heaven  and  earth 
(Eph.  i.  10 ;  Col.  i.  20).  They  were  to  be  no  longer  two,  as 
sin  had  made  them,  separated  and  estranged  ;  but  friendly,  in 
loving  intercourse.  This  was  to  go  on  from  age  to  age. 
Children  of  men,  yet  citizens  of  heaven.    Prayers  and  answers, 


412  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

graces,  blessings,  gifts,  heavenly  help — these  make  up  Christ's 
golden  clasp  that  binds  all  together. 

9.  'Joseph  and  Christ  (Matt.  i.  19).  Joseph  fancies,  Christ 
knows.  Joseph  would  not  expose,  Christ  hides  for  ever  and 
takes  away.  Joseph  purposed  to  put  away  ;  Christ  says,  Return 
again  to  me.  Joseph  is  betrothed,  Christ  married  ;  the  Lamb's 
wife. 

10.  'The  seventy  return  (Luke  x.  17),  saying,  "Even  the 
devils  are  subject  unto  us."  They  were  sent  to  heal;  but  even 
in  efforts  beyond  their  commission  succeeded.  There  was 
exultation,  yet  peril  in  this.  Nothing  is  more  perilous  for  a  man 
than  his  discovery  that  spiritual  powers  wait  upon  his  beck. 
Therefore  they  are  warned.  There  is  a  safer  and  truer  joy  ; 
without  self-satisfaction  and  self-elation. 

11.  'When  weak,  then  is  the  need  of  divine  help;  when 
weak,  Satan  tempts  ;  when  weak,  God  is  very  present. 

12.  '  The  "  fearful"  (Rev.  xxi.  8),  or  "  cowards,"  are  not  those 
who  fear  to  come  short  (Heb.  iv.  1),  or  who  fear  to  disbelieve 
(Heb.  xi.  7),  or  who  fear  to  be  too  bold  or  presuming  (Mark 
v.  33).  But  those  who  dare  nothing  for  Christ ;  not  valiant  in 
fight ;  who  fear  them  that  kill  the  body ;  who  sway  with  the 
times  ;  afraid  to  fight  against  lust,  and  to  deny  the  flesh. 
There  is  the  fear  of  the  evil  servant  (Matt.  xxv.  25) ;  of  those 
who  are  lazy  in  holy  duties  ;  who  see  a  lion  in  the  way  ;  who 
will  not  venture  to  suffer  anything  for  Christ.  The  "  unbe- 
lieving" are  not  those  who  are  weak  in  faith,  but  who  never 
believed  at  all ;  who  never  closed  with  Christ's  offers. 

13.  'They  shall  "see  His  face"  (Rev.  xxii.  4);  Moses  saw 
only  His  back  parts  (Ex.  xxxiii.  23). 

14.  '  Walking  one  day,  I  saw  an  aged  person.  I  asked,  "Is 
Christ  yours?"  She  hesitated.  I  said,  "Here  is  a  tract;  I 
offer  it,  give  it.  Is  it  yours  yet  ?"  "  No,  for  I  have  not  yet 
taken  it."  She  then  stretched  out  her  hand,  and  took  it.  "  Now 
it  is  mine,"  she  said,  shedding  tears.  See  here  why  so  many 
gospel  hearers  are  unsaved.  Salvation  is  offered,  given,  pressed ; 
but  never  taken,  and  so  does  not  become  theirs.     What  I  did 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  413 

to  that  woman,  I  am  doing  here  in  God's  name  to-night.  As 
a  fellow-worker,  I  beseech  (2  Cor.  v.).  I  show  you  the  g?~ace  of 
God;  tell  you  of  peace  with  God.  He  has  made  it,  and  offers 
it  to  you.  Be  reconciled.  Look  no  longer  at  your  sins.  Be- 
lieve ;  become  friends  ;  come  join  hands.  Do  it  now.  Put 
away  doubts,  fears,  suspicions  ;  become  a  child,  a  friend  of 
God.     Receive  not  the  grace  of  God  in  vain. 

15.  '  Let  us  put  away  our  own  ideas  and  plans,  and  let  the 
Lord  work  when  and  how  He  will.  Let  us  look  away  from 
difficulties,  unlikelihoods,  impossibilities,  and  rest  simply  on 
the  Lord.  This  honours  Him;  and  He  will  honour  us.  How 
much  has  faith  done  !  How  much  it  still  will  do  ! 

16.  'They  constrained  Him  (Luke  xxiv.  29)  ;  they  took  hold 
of  Him.     Yet  this  would  not  have  done  it.     But  their  heart 

.  took  hold  of  Him,  clung  to  Him.  So  we  love,  value,  find  bless- 
ing ;  want  more.  Stay  with  us,  we  say,  and  complete  what 
Thou  hast  begun.  This  prevailed  then,  and  it  always  will. 
The  Lord  wishes  to  be  loved,  valued,  needed,  held  fast.  So 
He  blessed  them,  and  sent  them  to  bless  others. 

17.  '  Supplies  of  animal  spirits  or  intellectual  vigour  will  not 
do ;  it  must  be  spiritual  strength  to  do  and  suffer ;  constant 
and  seasonable  ;  the  flesh  swallowed  up  by  the  Spirit.  This 
leads  to  heavenly  promotion  (2  Cor.  iv.  17) ;  brings  into  sym- 
pathy with  Christ ;  fellowship  of  suffering ;  makes  us  able  to 
bear  the  weight  of  glory.  Less  of  glory  on  earth ;  more  of 
glory  in  heaven. 

18.  'The  Holy  Spirit  is  not  intermittent;  not  limited  to 
revival  seasons.  Parents  give  good  gifts  at  all  times  ;  and 
more  so  God.  We  are  commanded  to  do  all  duties  in  the 
Spirit ;  to  live,  walk,  pray,  work  in  the  Spirit.  We  should  not 
be  blamed  for  sloth  and  carnality  if  the  Spirit  were  not  always 
attainable.  God  is  not  impoverished  by  the  abundance  of 
bestowment.     Like  the  sun,  He  is  never  exhausted. 

19.  '  I  have  hope  that  the  Lord  will  so  show  us  the  worthi- 
ness of  His  Son,  that  we  shall  ask,  expect,  and  receive  greater 
things  than  we  have  yet  known.     I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  an 


4H  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

idler.  We  should  try  to  keep  up  the  continuity  of  grace.  Our 
good  frames  are  usually  like  spring-tides,  that  swell  high  for 
a  season,  and  then  shrink  back,  leaving  our  deformity  and 
fruitlessness  to  appear. 

20.  '  I  have  a  growing  impression  that  we  do  not  lean  enough 
on  the  Lord  while  we  are  preaching.  We  are  apt  to  trust  to 
our  sword  and  our  bow.  Of  course  it  would  be  folly  to  go  to 
the  field  with  an  inefficient  sword  or  bow  ;  but  even  when  the 
weapons  are  at  the  best,  they  do  not  form  the  chief  or  essential 
element  of  success. 

21.  'Why  are  we  poor  and  needy,  when  He  who  came  to 
seek  and  save  us  is  rich  and  bountiful  ?  Are  we  enough  alone  ? 
Do  divine  things  get  time  to  soak  into  our  souls,  and  get  at  the 
roots  and  principles  of  our  life  ? 

22.  '  I  wish  you  would  teach  me  how  to  feed  constantly  on- 
the  hidden  manna ;  but  flesh  and  blood  cannot  reveal.  Why 
are  we  weak  and  empty,  when  Jesus  is  entered  into  His  rest, 
and  is  ever  overflowing  ? 

23.  '  I  enjoyed  preaching  last  Sabbath  on  Popery  very  much. 
It  is  a  controversy  into  which,  I  think,  I  shall  be  enabled  to 
go  with  all  my  heart  and  strength.  It  is  no  fragmentary, 
corner  question  that  is  mooted ;  but  life  or  death,  Christ  or 
Satan.  I  should  like  to  wear  out  in  the  storm,  rather  than  rot 
in  the  stagnant  calm.     Only  the  Spirit  lift  up  the  standard. 

24.  '  I  give  you  a  text :  "  Surely  in  the  Lord  have  I  right- 
eousness and  strength."  How  humble,  and  yet  how  bold  ;  how 
weak,  and  yet  how  strong,  we  should  be  if  we  could  act  on  this 
principle !  These,  I  suppose,  are  the  wings  that  make  the 
"  liers  among  the  pots  "  "  mount  up  like  eagles." 

25.  '  Our  sins  hinder  us  from  seeing  the  glory  of  God. 

26.  '  We  see  how  any  supposed  or  real  offence  mars  and 
hinders  intercourse  with  one  another.  What,  then,  must  it  be 
when  sin  comes  between  us  and  God  ?  How  vain  our  attempts 
to  be  as  before  !    Let  us  hasten  to  the  Advocate  and  the  blood. 

27.  '  I  desire  to  humble  myself  to  Thy  will,  and  to  be  crushed 
and  broken  at  every  hand. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  415 

28.  '  How  dreadful  if  sin  went  unpunished  ! 

29. ' "  I  was  daily  His  delight."  Let  not  this  slip  from  my  mind. 
Oh  how  blind  and  wicked  I  have  been,  in  seeking  or  making 
vain  substitutes  for  this  blessed  portion  both  of  God  and  man ! 

30.  '  God's  service  is  honour,  blessedness,  true  liberty. 

31.  '  He  redeems  with  His  blood.  He  became  a  sacrifice,  a 
curse  ;  was  made  under  the  law.  What  should  I  be  for  Him  ; 
and  what  should  I  be  willing  to  do  and  suffer  for  His  elect's 
sake,  which  is  the  Church  ? 

32.  '  Let  me  know  Thy  love,  in  its  reality,  tenderness,  sweet- 
ness, more  and  more  from  day  to  day. 

33.  '  Lev.  xxv.  36-38.  The  redemption  from  Egypt  is  given 
as  a  reason  for  the  willing  performance  of  difficult  duties. 
Lord,  keep  me  ever  under  the  power  of  Thy  dying  love. 

34.  'It  does  not  matter  much,  whether  it  be  the  work  of 
the  world  or  the  work  of  God  in  which  we  are  busy.  Self  can 
be  as  active,  and  perhaps  more  secure  in  the  one,  than  in  the 
other.     O  Lord,  save  me  from  this  leprosy  ! 

35.  '  I  never  noticed  till  to-day,  the  negative  character  of  the 
commands  regarding  the  Holy  Ghost.  Resist  not;  quench 
not j  vex  not;  grieve  not;  seeming  to  imply,  that  if  we  do  not 
restrain  and  force  Him  away,  it  is  His  blessed  disposition  to 
abide,  and  spring  up  as  a  well  of  living  water. 

36.  '  I  accept  my  punishment  in  the  cross  of  my  Lord,  and 
desire  now  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  my  afflictions. 

37.  '  Judge  angels  /  Do  we  not  do  this  already,  when  we 
examine  Satan's  suggestions,  and  resist,  and  reject  them  ?  Is 
not  the  daily  life  of  the  thriving  child  of  God,  a  judging  of  the 
god  of  this  world,  and  condemning  him  ? 

38.  '  Hold  up,  hold  on,  hold  out ;  the  longest  earthly  trial  will 
come  to  an  end. 

39.  '  When  we  try  to  please  men,  we  fall  into  a  snare  ;  but 
when  we  please  our  blessed  Lord,  all  goes  well. 

40.  '  Living  near  the  Lord  is  the  secret  of  peace.  Why 
should  we  walk  among  briers,  and  get  entangled  and  torn, 
when  we  might  mount  as  on  eagle's  wing?    Sometimes  we 


4i G  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

have  not  the  wing,  and  then  it  is  sad  enough.  But  I  believe 
that  if  we  wait  quietly  and  thankfully  on  the  Lord,  He  will 
soon  pity  us,  and  send  from  above,  and  take  us,  and  draw  us 
out  of  all  our  troubles. 

41.  '  It  is  a  duty  to  cultivate  a  holy  cheerfulness,  hopefulness, 
and  trustfulness.  It  is  not  easy,  and  it  is  not  common  among 
good  people.  But  it  is  surely  right,  and  it  is  possible.  Sor- 
rowful, yet  always  rejoicing  :  that,  I  suppose,  is  the  joy  of  the 
humble,  yet  hearty  believer. 

42.  '  Letters  from  home.  Thankful  for  manifold  expres- 
sions of  kindness  from  afar  ;  but,  Lord,  Thou  alone  art  my 
portion.  Weary,  yet  seek  to  fall  back  on  my  heavenly,  never- 
failing  Friend. 

43.  '  Compare  the  end  of  Ps.  ii.  and  Rev.  ii.,  and  Ps.  ex. 
and  Isa.  lxii.,  and  one  cannot  help  feeling  that  there  is  a  more 
than  possibility  that  the  millenarian  view  is  right.  Let  me 
search  and  wait  and  pray.  Be  Thou  my  teacher,  and  let  me 
not,  from  a  desire  to  escape  from  the  burden  of  an  unconverted 
world  too  easily,  receive  a  system  which,  if  it  is  true,  helps  to 
explain  the  present  state  of  things.  Our  supineness,  unbelief, 
selfishness,  miserable  divisions,  account  for  the  little  progress 
in  spreading  the  gospel.  But  a  universal  preaching  of  the 
gospel  would  not  amount  to  what  is  promised.  Christendom 
is  not  Christian. 

44.  '  In  a  little  while  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  and  the 
follies  of  the  righteous  will  come  to  an  end.  The  first  will  pass 
away,  and  the  latter  will  be  made  straight.  Should  it  be  ac- 
cording to  our  mind  ? 

45.  '  Let  us  brace  ourselves  for  trials.  I  see  they  are  un- 
avoidable here.  The  fickleness,  the  ceaseless  change,  the 
gathering  and  scattering,  must  be  a  constant  trial.  I  see  no 
hope  of  rest  but  in  the  crucifixion  of  the  flesh,  the  ceasing 
from  pride  and  self-will,  and  learning  meekness  and  lowliness 
as  the  yoke-fellows  of  Christ.  The  Lord  has  been  taking  us 
apart  to  train  us  Himself.  Let  us  learn  fast,  that  our  task 
may  be  the  sooner  done. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  417 

46.  '  Our  own  soul  is  our  worst  counsellor,  and  our  own  heart 
our  worst  comforter. 

47.  '  I  was  much  struck  to-day  with  the  morning  light.  A 
cloud  suddenly  broke  in  the  east,  and  there  was  in  a  moment 
a  glorious  burst  of  radiance.  So,  sometimes,  the  truth  works 
quietly  in  the  heart,  and  then  suddenly  breaks  forth,  and  the 
happy  man  knows  that  the  kingdom  of  God  has  come.  So  it 
will  be  with  the  Beloved.  Sometime,  when  all  seems  dark, 
the  heavens  will  rend,  and  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  will 
appear.  May  we,  in  coming  joy  and  sorrow,  be  able  always  to 
say,  Amen,  even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus  ! 

48.  '  Why  are  we  cast  down  at  the  indifference  and  hostility 
that  prevail  to  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  ?  The  real  truth  is 
that  HE  REIGNS  !  He  has  many  loyal  subjects.  He  has  a 
dominion  on  high.  Why  do  we  not  rather  rejoice  that  we 
belong  to  such  a  glorious,  mighty,  prevailing,  and  everlasting 
kingdom  ?  We  must  not  stand,  shamefaced  and  craven,  like 
Israel  before  the  vaunting  Goliath;  but  rather  go  like  David, 
rejoicing  in  our  glorious  Lord,  and  speaking  of  the  greatness 
of  His  kingdom,  and  the  might  of  His  power.  Do  you  think 
we  live  on  earth  as  citizens  of  the  new  Jerusalem  ? 

49.  '  I  have  been  thinking  of  the  necessity  of  having  a 
thorough  bent  to  good.  No  one  can  do  good  to  his  fellows 
without  it.  I  suspect  those  who  are  to  be  of  large  usefulness, 
must  get  that  bent  early,  and  cherish  it,  and  strengthen  it. 

50.  '  I  am  so  accustomed  to  realize  the  minute  providence  of 
God,  that  I  think  I  see  His  finger  in  the  minutest  matter — a 
look,  a  word,  a  manifestation  of  temper.  But  I  have  not  often, 
I  fear,  the  comfort  of  this,  just  because  I  do  not  pray  enough 
to  this  all-ordering  Lord. 

51.  '  May  the  Lord  take  the  guidance  of  our  affections,  as  of 
all  else ! 

52.  '  Don't  you  think  we  need  to  bring  our  highest  principles 
and  motives  to  bear  on  hourly  little  things  ? 

53.  '  Our  great  business  should  be  to  keep  up  the  life  of  God 
in  the  soul. 

2  D 


4i 8  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

54.  '  How  sad  that  it  should  ever  be  an  act  of  violence  to 
ourselves,  to  come  near  to  God  !  yet  we  should  be  oftener 
doing  this  violence. 

55.  '  Let  me  in  all  things  take  up  the  cross. 

56.  '  A  little  trial ;  but  it  passed  away.  How  wrong  it  is,  at 
the  appearance  of  every  little  cloud,  to  cry,  A  storm  !  a  storm  ! 
Let  me  ever  see  the  rainbow  in  the  cloud. 

57.  '  My  sun  and  shield,  the  lifter  up  of  my  head,  I  feel  some 
longing  to  be  with  Thee  ! 

58.  '  Prosperity  leads  to  pride,  and  trouble  to  heartlessness. 
In  every  way  there  is  sin.  But  in  Thy  presence  is  purity  and 
peace. 

59.  '  Help  me  to  think  more  of  those  who  are  neglecting  the 
pleasant  land. 

60.  '  There  must  be  clouds  and  darkness ;  but  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness  is  above  them  all. 

61.  '  I  see  that  nothing  is  really  terrible  but  the  wrath  of 
God.  Other  troubles  can  be  borne,  triumphed  over,  and  made 
to  work  for  good  ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  withers  and  destroys. 
Who  can  bear  it  ? 

62.  'When  Satan  sifts,  he  raises  such  a  commotion  that 
nothing  is  seen  but  the  dust  and  chaff. 

63.  I  wish  we  were  home,  when  the  members,  as  well  as  the 
head,  will  be  able  to  say  of  one  another,  "  Thou  art  all  fair." 

64.  '  This  is  not  our  rest.  "  Thy  will  be  done,"  is  the  thing 
that  comes  next  to  it. 

65.  '  I  see  it  would  be  the  highest  wisdom  to  let  all  go  to 
wreck  and  be  lost,  a  thousand  times,  rather  than  commit  a 
single  sin. 

66.  '  Submission  and  patience  is  the  way  of  peace. 

67.  '  To  look  forward  to  the  Lord's  coming,  when  He  will 
rest  from  His  labours,  be  fully  glorified,  fully  gladdened,  when 
the  whole  body  will  be  gathered  in, — that  is  the  true  Christian 
spirit. 

68.  '  I  have  been  thinking  of  the  Lion,  Ox,  Eagle,  and  Man. 
How  all  meet  in  Christ !     Dignified,  diligent,  disinterested, 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  419 

divine  !     How  much  we  fail  in  one  or  other,  and  too  often 
in  all ! 

69.  '  Look  at  Ezek.  xxix.  16.  There  are  some  sins  which,  if 
we  fall  into  them,  bring  all  past  sins  up  again  into  the  memory 
of  God. 

70.  '  There  are  but  two  great  springs  of  action  in  the  world, — 
selfishness  and  love.  How  very  much  of  our  life  has  sprung 
from  the  former,  and  so  is  sin,  and  therefore  worthless  ! 

71.  '  I  think  one  great  want — the  want  of  the  age — is  a  deep 
and  real  persuasion  of  the  punitive  judgment  of  God. 

72.  'The  godly  man's  darkness  is  better  than  the  worldly 
man's  sparks  and  fires. 

73.  '  Human  temporary  ties  are  of  little  value  anywhere  ; 
but  we  see  this  here  specially.  Yet  God  is  forming  a  body 
for  His  dear  Son,  and  none  of  the  members  thereof  shall  perish. 

74.  '  The  close  of  a  year  is  like  the  deathbed  of  a  benefactor. 
A  friend,  who  has  been  long  with  us,  and  brought  us  many 
mercies  and  opportunities,  is  going  away. 

75.  '  I  have  been  thinking  that  the  Lord's  coming  is  strangely 
overlooked  by  most.  It  seems  as  if  Satan  contrived  to  spike 
the  battery. 

76.  '  If  we  could  cease  from  self  and  outward  things,  we 
should  always  have  comfort  in  the  Lord.  Food  in  our  hunger, 
strength  in  our  weakness,  and  hope  in  our  darkness. 

77.  '  Accepted  in  the  Beloved,  we  have  only  to  try  to  do 
God's  will  on  earth,  as  they  do  it  in  heaven,  not  as  servants, 
but  as  dear  children. 

78.  ' "  I  will  come  again  " — sooner  than  the  world  wishes, 
but  not  too  soon  for  those  who  love  His  appearing. 

79.  '  Injuries  and  wrongs  God  is  using  to  detach  our  hearts 
from  the  world,  and  to  loosen  the  roots  which  bind  affections 
to  earth. 

80.  '  God  is  striving  to  make  the  inheritance  meet  for  us. 
How  sad  that  we  should  be  so  loath  to  be  made  meet  for  the 
inheritance  ! 

81.  '  I  have  been  thinking  of  that  verse,  "  His  fruit  was 


420  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

sweet  to  my  taste."     Don't  we  try  to  live  on  our  fruit,  instead 
of  getting  life,  strength,  and  joy  from  the  tree  of  immortality  ? 

82.  '  I  think  Satan  hates  peculiarly  Messiah's  CROWN.  "  Yet 
have  I  set  my  King  upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion." 

83.  '  I  desire  especially  to  put  myself  into  Thy  hand  for 
guidance,  in  regard  to  the  way  of  conducting  my  work. 

84.  '  I  am  aware  that  I  would  fain  live  low,  and  walk 
by  sense.  Lord,  make  me  willing  to  be  trained  to  a  higher 
life. 

85.  '  May  love  to  Thee  kill  discontentment,  ambition,  and 
unbelief. 

86.  '  I  find  it  easier  to  count  all  loss,  than  to  be  counted 
loss. 

87.  '  How  easy  it  would  be  to  walk  through  the  shadows,  if 
we  kept  the  eye  fixed  on  the  opening  door,  and  the  coming 
glory! 

88.  '  I  think  I  should  like  to  be  in  a  multitude,  clapping 
their  hands  to  God  with  the  voice  of  trumpet ;  and  yet  there 
might  be  a  great  deal  of  mere  sympathy  in  this,  and  carnal 
feeling. 

89.  '  I  can  sympathize  with  those  who  cry,  "  Lord  Jesus, 
come  !  "     Oh,  quickly  come,  and  take  the  kingdom  to  Thyself. 

90.  '  Trials  should  only  exercise  love,  and  make  it  grow.  I 
feel  this,  and  really  wish  that  each  day  I  might  become  brim- 
ful of  grace  and  kindness,  and  forget  myself  altogether,  and 
go  about  seeking  to  do  good.  Let  us  try  to  be  cheerful,  and 
thankful,  and  loving  to  all,  and  to  bound  over  obstacles,  and 
smooth  over  asperities. 

91.  '  I  have  been  at  a  funeral.  It  was  a  most  dreary  morn- 
ing. I  think  one  would  almost  like  the  sun  to  shine  upon  one's 
grave. 

92.  '  I  am  persuaded  that  unbelief  is  the  root  of  bitterness. 
There  are  others,  doubtless ;  but  that  is  the  root  of  all  evil. 
Even  the  love  of  money  springs  from  this  ;  for  if  we  had  faith 
in  God,  we  should  not  care  for  a  stock  of  our  own,  but  would 
be  content  to  leave  all  in  the  hands  of  God. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  421 

93.  '  We  should  be  thankful  for  trials.  What  should  we  be 
without  them?  There  may  be  peeple  that  do  not  require 
them.     I  am  not  of  that  number. 

94.  '  We  should  make  a  distinction  between  being  faithful 
and  loving  ;  but  I  doubt  if  they  can  be  separated.  If  love  is 
wanting,  it  is  bitterness,  not  faithfulness. 

95.  '  I  long  for  the  purged  conscience,  the  kept  heart,  the 
humble  mind,  the  girded  loins,  the  crucified  flesh,  and  the  lip 
and  life  of  truth. 

96.  '  To  hold  habitually  any  truth  which  is  above  nature,  and 
above  the  state  of  mind  of  those  with  whom  we  mix,  requires 
increasing  watchfulness,  self-recollection,  and  prayer. 

97.  '  I  fear  few  can  habitually  say  they  possess  and  enjoy 
the  better  part.  Now  and  then  I  see  some  who  seem  to  do  it. 
You  know  it  by  their  meekness  and  quietness  of  spirit  under 
all  trials. 

98.  '  I  have  been  thinking  of  the  high  state  of  a  man  in 
Christ.  Everything  that  lights  upon  him  really  lights  upon 
Christ,  and  he  may  well  let  it  pass,  assured  that  the  Lord  will 
take  it  up  in  due  time.  I  think  this  is  the  secret  of  Christian 
meekness,  and  almost  indifference  to  the  mockings  of  the 
Ishmaelites  of  this  world. 

99.  '  If  we  had  a  better  idea  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  how 
deeply  and  strongly  it  is  rooted  in  our  nature,  we  should  be  less 
surprised  at  the  frequency  and  severity,  and  sometimes  singu- 
larity of  our  trials. 

100.  '  God  makes  His  people's  sins  work  for  the  advance- 
ment of  His  work  in  one  another ;  just  as  He  makes  Satan 
and  his  seed  the  Gibeonites  in  His  temple.  But  no  thanks  to 
them  for  this  ;  the  glory  be  to  the  Lord. 

101.  '  We  need  much  grace  to  be  able  to  see  the  kingdom 
of  God,  where  man  sees  it  not.  Christ  goes  down  into  His 
garden,  and  He  finds  wonders  there — the  patience  of  Job,  the 
Canaanite's  great  faith,  the  Magdalene's  much  love,  and  He  is 
satisfied  ;  but  nature  is  like  the  Pharisee — "  This  poor  publi- 
can ;"  or  like  Simon,  "  If  He  had  been  a  prophet,"  etc.     And 


422  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

so,  till  we  have  the  mind  of  Christ,  and  only  so  long  as  we  have 
it,  do  we  see  the  beauty  and  value  of  grace. 

102.  '  Faith  is  a  paradoxical  creature ;  so  strong  that  he  can 
pull  the  treasures  of  heaven  down,  and  yet  so  weak  that  a  little 
of  earth's  dross  can  quite  crush  him. 

103.  'I  am  more  and  more  persuaded  that  holy  love  is  the 
very  element  of  true  blessedness.  I  wish  we  could  live  in  this 
frame,  excluding  selfishness,  both  in  its  religious  and  its  sinful 
forms.  Have  you  not  often  noticed  how  we  can,  as  it  were, 
form  for  ourselves  a  kind  of  new  creation  ?  If  we  are  in  a  dis- 
satisfied, selfish  spirit,  we  see  only  what  is  dark  and  faulty  ; 
but  in  a  thankful,  cheerful  spirit,  we  see  only  what  is  bright, 
and  cast  a  kind  of  robe  of  beauty  over  all  we  meet. 

104.  '  A  weak  faith  cannot  do  much,  but  it  can  receive  a 
whole  Christ. 

105.  '  Christ's  smile  is  better  than  all  knowledge  or  self-work. 

106.  'I  am  sure  that  to  keep  near  the  Lord  is  better  than  all 
other  knowledge  ;  but  it  is  necessary  to  keep  pace  with  what 
is  doing  in  the  work  of  God. 

107.  '  Satan  will  try  by  bad  things,  and,  if  that  fails,  by 
good  things,  to  turn  us  away  from  the  Lord. 

108.  'I  feel  so  strongly  that  no  work  stands  but  God's ; 
that  one  word  spoken  in  His  Spirit  is  worth  ten  thousand  of 
our  own ;  and  that  the  little  finger,  when  He  wields  it,  can  do 
more  than  ten  thousand  men  without  Him. 

109.  '  I  have  been  noticing  how  easily  our  vain  minds  are 
diverted  away  from  Christ,  even  while  we  are  endeavouring  to 
hold  communion  with  Him.  Surely  we  do  lightly  esteem 
Him,  when  every  trifle  can  draw  us  away.  But  He  has  those 
in  the  world  who  do  cleave  to  Him  with  full  purpose  of  heart, 
and  count  all  besides,  in  comparison,  dross  and  dung. 

no.  '  Mercy  and  judgment  are  twin  sisters,  that  came  hand 
in  hand,  and  hitherto  have  continued  walking  together,  or  if 
one  sometimes  goes  before,  the  other  speedily  overtakes.  The 
finishing  of  the  mystery  will  terminate  this  sisterhood ;  for 
heaven  will  not  need,  and  hell  shall  not  enjoy  them. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  423 

in.  '  The  best  way  of  winning  souls,  is  not  by  trying  to  get 
people's  love  and  confidence  for  ourselves,  but  trying  to  lead 
them  to  give  their  love  and  confidence  to  Christ;  trying  not  to 
get  them  to  attach  themselves  to  us,  but  to  lead  them  to  attach 
themselves  to  Christ ;  trying  not  to  get  them  to  think  well  of 
us,  but  putting  ourselves  out  of  sight,  to  lead  them  to  think 
Christ  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand.  This  seems  a  round- 
about way,  but  it  is  the  true  way,  for  the  souls  we  bring  to  the 
Lord  become  ours  by  a  tender  and  everlasting  bond. 

112.  'I  wish  we  could  be  so  in  Him  that  self  would  be  for- 
gotten, and  we  should  not  think  of  what  we  do  or  suffer. 
Could  we  become  as  the  blind  that  see  not,  and  the  deaf  that 
hear  not.  We  have  been  long  thus  insensible  to  the  things  of 
God  ;  would  it  not  be  a  blessed  revenge  to  crucify  the  flesh, 
and  now  be  as  insensible  to  all  its  corrupt  affections  and  pas- 
sions ? 

113.  'How  can  we  think  anything  that  befalls  us  hard  or 
strange,  after  the  manacled  hands,  and  the  smitten,  insulted 
face  of  the  Lord  of  glory?  Isn't  it  a  beautiful  little  trait  of 
John  that,  when  he  tells  how  the  caitiff  struck  the  Lord,  he 
adds,  "  Now  Annas  had  sent  Him  bo7cnd,"  etc.  So  that  Jesus 
was  defenceless,  and  this  struck  the  disciple  as  a  touching 
aggravation  of  the  foul  deed. 

1 14.  '  How  adorable  and  admirable  was  Christ's  human  life  ! 
The  constant  self-possession,  the  readiness  to  meet  and  go 
successfully  through  every  little  emergency,  the  hearty,  ear- 
nest entering  into  the  little  details  of  each  passing  hour,  His 
tender  sympathy  for  the  afflicted,  His  reproof  and  warning  of 
the  proud  and  worldly,  His  stedfast  ongoing  amid  difficulty 
and  discouragement,  His  frequent  retirement  and  prayer. 
Why  do  we  not  love  and  glorify  Him  more,  as  the  chiefest 
among  ten  thousand,  the  perfect  Man,  and  the  everlasting 
God? 

115.  *  Don't  wonder  at  occasional  castings  down.  The 
Bible  would  not  be  so  full  of  "  Comfort  ye's,"  and  "  Fear 
not's,"  if  God's  dearest  did  not  need  it. 


424  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

116.  '  Did  not  get  near  God  in  the  morning,  having  to  go 
out ;  so  failed  all  the  day. 

117.  '  When  shall  I  have  an  entire,  loving  faith,  that  will 
construe  all  God's  dealings  kindly  and  favourably  ? 

118.  'Some  trials,  but  scarce  worth  the  name.  If  I  were 
more  meek  and  poor  in  spirit,  I  should  not  feel  them. 

119.  'What  I  need  is  more  living  on  Christ. 

120.  '  Men  are  everywhere  fearfully  turned  away  from  God. 
Lord,  save  and  deliver  ! 

121.  Hold  me  in;  hold  me  up;  hold  me  back;  and  grant 
me  this  day  to  see  the  dead  hearing  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God. 

122.  '  Resting  on  Christ;  His  work,  His  care,  His  govern- 
ment, His  grace. 

123.  '  Fill  me  with  the  Holy  Ghost  to-day. 

124.  'Watching  unto  prayer;  with  thoughts  of  Him  and 
His  coming. 

125.  '  Draw  me,  keep  me,  possess  me,  and  be  my  all  in  all. 

126.  '  Keep  me  this  day  feeding  on  Thy  fulness  and  glory. 

127.  '  Trust  in  Him,  my  soul,  with  all  Thy  might. 

128.  '  Keep  me  from  every  earthly  selfish  impulse,  waiting 
quietly  on  Thee,  of  whom  and  through  whom  are  all  things. 

129.  'I  desire  to  dwell  this  day  among  the  eternal  things. 

130.  'Jesus  in  greatest  darkness  saw  the  coming  glory.  His 
holding  (Luke  xxii.  63)  is  our  freedom.  His  blindfolding  is  our 
light  He  held  us,  though  storms  blew.  Let  us  hold  Him 
through  tribulation.  He  held  us  amid  mockery  and  spitting. 
Let  us  hold  Him  amid  shame  and  contempt. 

131.  'When  I  would  see  myself  by  nature,  I  would  look  to 
the  garden,  judgment  hall,  Calvary ;  when  I  would  see  myself 
in  grace,  I  would  look  to  God's  right  hand. 

132.  '  Obedience  can  only  be  known  through  suffering.  If 
what  we  have  to  do  is  altogether  agreeable  to  us,  then  we  may 
do  it,  not  so  much  from  a  regard  to  the  will  of  another,  as  to 
our  own.  Selfishness  may  have  place  in  such  a  case.  We 
may  be  doing  things  to  gratify  ourselves,  not  to  please  or  serve 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  425 

another.     But  when  we  do  things  irksome,  humbling,  painful, 
this  is  obedience. 

133.  '  In  seeking  some  recommendation  in  yourselves  to 
come  to  God,  you  are  dishonouring  His  justice  in  thinking 
you  have  anything  fit  for  its  acceptance,  dishonouring  His 
grace  in  thinking  He  cannot  love  and  save  freely,  and  dis- 
honouring His  Son's  blood  in  thinking  it  cannot  cleanse  from 
all  iniquity  and  make  a  full  atonement. 

134.  '  Apostles  stand  amazed  at  the  greatness  of  salvation  ; 
they  do  not  attempt  to  tell  how  great ;  but  simply  say,  "  So 
great  salvation"  "  What  manner  of  love  !"  "  So  loved." 

135.  '  More  consciences  are  slurred  with  flagrant  sin  than 
we  know  of,  and  the  stain  remains  within  when  it  is  blotted 
from  the  book  of  heaven.  But  the  sad  memory  is  a  cure  for 
worse  things  than  itself,  a  perpetual  antidote  to  pride,  an  ever- 
ready  reproof  to  discontent,  a  good  help  to  patience  and  self- 
renunciation,  and  makes  the  heart  run  over  with  thankfulness. 

136.  'It  is  our  pride,  our  delicacy,  our  earthly-mindedness 
that  are  anxious.  God  has  not  promised  to  provide  for  them, 
and  therefore  we  cannot  trust  Him  with  their  concerns. 

137.  '  "  He  that  made  me  whole,  the  same  said,"  etc.  I  never 
questioned,  but  believed  it  right.  He  is  a  God  to  me  ;  what 
He  says  I  unhesitatingly  do. 

138.  '  What  have  they  seen  in  thy  house?  Silver  and  gold — 
natural ;  it  is  a  King's  house.  But  what  have  they  seen  ?  A 
lately  endangered,  delivered  man.  Have  they  seen  the  records 
of  thy  thankfulness  for  divine  mercy  ?  They  have  seen  osten- 
tatious display  of  earth's  grandeur ;  they  would  see  that  at  home. 
What  is  seen  in  my  house  ?  When  a  stranger  comes,  what  does 
he  see  ?    Where  is  thy  God,  thy  religion,  thy  peace  ?     Unseen. 

139.  '  Earth's  best  unions  and  fellowships  are  poor,  shadowy, 
and  unsubstantial  in  comparison  with  that  which  the  gospel 
introduces. 

140.  '  The  Holy  Ghost  so  works  in  us  that  He  works  by  us. 
If  we  do  nothing,  He  does  nothing.  "  Go,"  He  says,  "and  I  go 
with  you." 


426  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

141.  '  Christ  is  the  King  excluded  from  His  dominion  while 
a  usurper  occupies  His  throne.  The  believer  is  a  loyalist  in 
the  kingdom  during  the  usurpation.  What  can  he  join  with  in 
the  world  ?  His  heart  is  with  his  absent  King,  his  hopes  all 
centred  in  His  return.  The  whole  course  of  the  kingdom  has 
but  one  character  in  his  eyes,  as  not  knowing  Him  whose  right 
it  is. 

142.  'A  walk  by  faith  seems  to  the  world  void  of  common 
sense. 

143.  '  Col.  ii.  3.  Secular  as  well  as  divine.  Satan  seeks  to 
separate  knowledge  from  Christ  its  Source,  and  then  to  set  it  in 
antagonism  to  Him.  He  calls  the  laws  of  nature,  God.  Every 
new  discovery  in  science  of  heavenly  or  earthly  things  is  put  in 
the  witness-box  of  infidelity,  as  an  evidence  against  revealed 
religion. 

144.  '  Seek  such  light  and  faith  that  you  may  see  as  clearly 
the  folly  and  absurdity  of  going  contrary  to  moral  as  well  as  to 
natural  laws.  We  see  the  folly  of  walking  on  water  or  through 
fire ;  but  should  we  not  also  see  the  madness  of  transgressing 
any  of  God's  laws  ?  God  can  contravene  physical  laws  ;  say 
to  fire,  Burn  not ;  water,  Drown  not.  But  He  cannot  say  to 
sin,  Hurt  not ;  bring  not  desert  of  death. 

145.  '  Death  through  sin  is  dreadful,  here  and  hereafter. 
Death  to  sin,  blessed,  holiness.  Death  from  sin,  everlasting 
rest. 

146.  'When  we  are  at  the  lowest,  His  help  is  nearest. 

147.  '  Broken  volcanic  mountain-ranges  tell  of  physical  con- 
vulsions ;  fortresses  and  defences  tell  of  political ;  denomina- 
tions and  sects  tell  of  moral  and  religious. 

148.  '  The  green  leaf,  full  of  sap,  displays  little  of  the  skill 
and  care  of  God,  compared  with  the  same  leaf  when  withered 
and  turned  into  the  skeleton  of  its  former  self. 

149.  '  Grace  and  corruption,  love  of  Christ  and  love  of  the 
world,  are  the  centripetal  and  centrifugal  forces  acting  on  the 
child  of  God,  and  their  relative  force  determines  his  place 
and  conduct. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  427 

150.  'What  portion  is  best?  That  which  induces  a  habit 
of  daily  dependence,  and  an  exercise  of  daily  faith  in  the  Author 
of  every  good  and  perfect  gift. 

151.  '  Sinners  returning  to  the  Lord  are  like  lines  converging 
from  the  circumference  to  the  centre ;  they  not  only  meet  with 
God,  but  also  with  one  another.  Near  to  Christ,  near  to  one 
another. 

152.  '  Years  are  the  waves  of  Time's  tide. 

153.  'There  is  a  cataract  in  the  eye  of  unrenewed  nature, 
and  God  alone  can  couch  it. 

154.  'God  has  prepared  magazines  for  His  army  on  the 
road.  Hagar's  bottle  of  water  is  spent ;  but  God's  fountain 
comes  to  view.  Light  against  the  time  of  darkness.  In  a 
railway  carriage,  we  scarce  observe  the  lighted  lamp  in  the 
roof,  feebly  twinkling.  But  all  at  once  the  whistle  sounds ; 
and  in  the  darkness  of  the  tunnel  we  rejoice  in  the  con- 
siderate provision  which  cheers  us,  until  we  again  emerge  into 
light  of  heaven. 

155.  '  Matt.  xiv.  5.  Herod.  Those  who  are  kept  back  from 
evil  only  by  outward  restraints,  will,  ere  long,  break  through. 
The  fire  burns,  grows ;  and  some  new  fuel  throws  down  the 
barrier. 

156.  '  Popery  and  Puseyism  both  claim  a  monopoly  of  the 
water  of  heaven  ;  but  they  cannot  prevent  the  rain  from  falling 
where  God  will. 

157.  'What  we  need  is  pointed,  penetrating,  discriminating 
application.   Argument  breaches  the  wall ;  application  storms  it. 

158.  '  Discharge  your  gun  among  a  covey,  and  you  probably 
kill  none.  Aim  at  one  after  another, — insulate, — and  you  pro- 
bably get  all. 

159.  'The  earth  has  internal  heat,  whence  come  volcanoes, 
earthquakes.  It  receives  heat  from  above ;  hence  life  and 
fertility  ;  flesh  and  spirit. 

160.  '  One  earnest  Christian  in  a  place  is  like  a  pebble 
thrown  into  water ;  the  circle  widens,  and  includes  many. 

161.  '  In  the  experience  and  actings  of  a  Christian,  every- 


428  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

thing  depends  upon  the  place  which  God  occupies  in  the 
heart.  If  our  thoughts  of  God  are  low,  the  standard  of  judg- 
ment and  conduct  will  be  low. 

162.  '  We  do  not  sufficiently  live  in  the  atmosphere  of  God's 
holiness  and  grace.  Our  conflicts,  sorrows,  and  experiences 
come  between  us  and  God,  and  shut  Him  out  of  our  mind  ; 
and  then  we  lapse  into  legalism  and  religiousness  of  nature, 
or  worldliness  and  moral  evil. 

163.  '  He  only  can  bear  to  know  all  that  is  in  his  heart  who 
can  say,  "  Thou  hast  cast  all  my  sins  behind  Thy  back."  When 
thus  prepared,  the  nearer  we  approach  to  the  knowledge  of  our 
all,  the  nearer  we  come  to  the  knowledge  of  God's  all. 

164.  '  We  are  like  the  king  who  smote  thrice  and  stopped. 
We  do  not  know  the  value  of  prayer. 

165.  '  Hezekiah.  The  king  of  Assyria,  with  an  army,  was 
overcome.  The  king  of  Babylon,  with  a  present,  overcame. 
Hezekiah  was  off  his  guard.  The  plausible  Gibeonite  is  more 
dangerous  than  the  rugged  sons  of  Anak.  He  had  much  to 
tell  about  God,  but  he  only  speaks  of  himself. 

166.  '  From  the  first  moment  of  spiritual  awakening  to  the 
close,  precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  His 
saints.  Our  power  to  refresh  and  gladden  the  mind  of  Jesus 
is  fully,  freely  owned  in  God's  word.  But  the  affection  that 
can  be  gratified  may  also  be  wounded. 

167.  '  It  is  humbling  to  know  that  the  heart  left  to  itself 
cares  not  for  the  Lord  or  His  glory.  It  sold  Him  for  a  mess 
of  pottage,  for  a  herd  of  swine,  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver  ;  and 
would  still  for  anything. 

168.  'As  a  general  rule,  the  more  deeply  religious  men 
become,  the  calmer  and  more  stedfast  they  grow.  Joy  of 
feeling  is  direct,  but  often  turbid,  temporary.  Joy  of  calm, 
stedfast  doing  is  safer ;  steals  gently  in,  and  is  "  I  am  with 
thee." 

169.  'There  have  been  Great  Discoverers. — Christ  brought 
life  and  immortality  to  light  by  the  gospel.  Great  Conquerors. — 
Christ  spoiled  principalities  and  powers.     Some  have  left  their 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  429 

high  state  to  do  good  to  others.  Christ  left  the  throne  of  glory 
and  took  the  form  of  a  servant.  Great  Sacrifices. — Christ  died 
on  the  cross.     Great  Architects. — Christ  made  all  things. 

170.  '  Can  I  thank  God  heartily  when,  in  His  sovereign  grace, 
He  pleases  to  use  another  in  His  service,  my  inferior  in  stand- 
ing, in  talent,  in  intelligence  ? 

171.  '  Diversity  of  opinions,  and  mutual  kindly  expression  of 
them,  is  the  sifting  or  ventilation  that  elicits  truth. 

172.  '  The  smallest  thought  of  good,  such  as,  This  is  sinful, 
This  is  selfish,  is  the  Potter's  hand  touching  you,  to  break  you 
off  the  lump.  If  you  persist  in  going  on,  in  what  He  has  begun 
to  convince  you  is  sin,  or  folly,  or  even  not  quite  right,  then 
you  resist.     Refuse  not. 

173.  'Suppose  Barabbas  had  said,  "It  is  impossible  that 
these  tidings  can  refer  to  such  a  criminal  as  I.  It  is  absurd." 
Or,  "  I  will  not  leave  my  prison  till  I  become  another  man, 
and  prove  my  repentance." 

174.  'A  young  Christian  thinks  that  he  knows  everything. 
He  advances  a  little  way,  and  finds  that  he  knows  not  the 
half  of  what  he  thought  he  knew.  At  last  he  says,  "  I  know 
nothing  as  I  ought  to  know."  He  begins  to  fight  with  the  idea 
that  nothing  can  overcome  him.  He  ends  with  the  conviction 
that  anything  will  throw  him  down  without  Christ's  grace. 

175.  '  Finite  being  has  no  peace  to  enjoy  or  to  confer;  it  is 
the  gift  of  the  Father,  the  purchase  of  the  Son,  the  creation  of 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

176.  '  Fear  not  to  meet  the  assembly  of  the  first-born  ;  they 
are  little  children,  humble  and  loving. 

177.  '  Habits  go  with  us  to  eternity. 

178.  *2  Tim.  ii.  10.  Prayer  is  one  of  the  ways  of  enduring 
hardness.  We  need  self-denial  and  resolute  effort  to  get  even 
time  for  prayer  ;  and  we  must  endure  conflict  with  Satan  and 
self  ere  we  are  able  to  continue  in  prayer.  Away  from  com- 
pany, from  books,  from  study,  from  work,  let  us  give  ourselves 
to  prayer  far  oftener  than  we  have  done.  Let  us  be  prepared 
to  meet  with  few  sympathizers.     Though  the  labour  of  the 


430  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

mind  may  find  many  to  appreciate  it,  yet  the  labour  of  the  heart 
—prayer,  who  will  regard  this  ?     Let  us  endure  this  disregard. 

179.  'Knowledge  of  God.  Works  help;  the  word  more, 
but  Christ  most.  If  an  angel  came  to  earth  when  first  created, 
what  would  he  have  looked  at  to  know  God  ?  Not  sun,  sky, 
garden,  but  man — this  His  image,  His  likeness.  So  Christ  is 
the  image  of  invisible  God. 

180.  'Titus  i.  2.  In  hope  of  eternal  life.  Thinking  of  my 
own  habitual  state  of  mind,  I  am  grieved  to  observe  how  little 
this  great  object  is  present  and  influential  on  my  mind.  I 
seem  to  live  in  and  for  present  things,  the  daily  duties,  occur- 
rences, and  trials  of  life.  But  I  feel  that  the  future  life  should 
be  the  great  object  in  my  heart,  and  that  the  thought  of  it 
should  stimulate,  comfort,  support,  and  guide  me. 

181.  'Titus  i.  7.  The  steward  of  God.  I  feel  as  if  I  had 
not  sufficiently  thought  of  my  office  in  this  aspect  of  it.  What 
has  the  Lord  committed  to  me  ?  What  conscious  possession 
have  I  of  the  unsearchable  riches  ?  And  what  am  I  dispens- 
ing? whom  am  I  feeding?  and  with  what?  I  think  my  mind 
fixes  more  upon  the  idea  of  the  Shepherd,  and  only  on  one 
branch  of  this,  the  literally  pastoral,  dealing  with  individuals, 
following  and  exerting  a  somewhat  mechanical  influence  over 
them.  Lord,  help  me  to  think  of  my  office  in  all  its  length 
and  breadth,  and  manifold  ministrations  and  responsibilities. 

182.  '  If  we  are  prepared  to  shine,  God  will  find  the  candle- 
stick ;  if  we  are  prepared  to  work,  God  will  find  us  something 
to  do.     Only  be  ready  and  willing  for  anything. 

183.  'The  baptism  of  fire  would  recall  Abraham's  smoking 
furnace,  the  burning  bush,  pillar  of  fire,  shekinah,  coal  of  fire 
on  Isaiah's  lips,  Ezekiel's  visions,  and  teach  the  approach  of  a 
new  manifestation  of  the  power  and  presence  of  God. 

184.  'The  spring  of  the  clock  represents  the  inner  life;  the 
pendulum,  outer  life.  The  pendulum  will  not  go  without  the 
spring,  and  yet  the  spring  will  go  to  wreck  without  the  pen- 
dulum. 

185.  'When  my  body,  that  played  so  great  a  part  in  my 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  THOUGHT.  431 

temptation,  sin,  and  shame,  and  was  the  busy  and  eager  ser- 
vant of  my  depraved  spirit,  is  restored  to  me  incorruptible, 
what  a  triumphant  proof  that  I  am  wholly  redeemed  ! 

186.  'God  takes  our  Christian  friends;  but  He  will  give 
them  back,  after  a  season,  worthier  than  before. 

187.  'Do  you  not  observe  exuberance  and  overflowing  in 
some  of  God's  gifts  ?  Light  for  all,  though  blind  ;  for  those 
who  close  their  eyes,  and  live  in  deep  mines,  and  never  benefit 
by  it.  Yet  there  it  is,  if  they  would  use.  So  fulness  in  Christ, 
though  multitudes  never  avail  themselves  of  it.  Free  to  all, 
sufficient  for  all. 

188.  'I  feel  that  it  is  only  by  being  full  of  faith  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  that  I  can  hope  to  hold  on  with  any  comfort. 

189.  '  I  long  for  more  of  direct,  conscious,  happy  fellowship 
with  the  Lord.     I  know  that  this  can  only  be  by  faith. 

190.  '  Gave  way  in  the  morning  to  unbelief,  as  if  the  Lord 
could  not  keep  and  prosper  me,  notwithstanding  obstacles  and 
enemies.  I  suffered,  in  consequence,  all  the  day,  going  halt- 
ingly, and  easily  overcome.     Help  ! 

191.  '  A  quiet  day,  yet  feeling  ungirded,  and  in  danger. 
192    c  Past  suffering  is  a  possession. 

193.  'When  so  fully  as  when  we  see  Him  as  He  is,  shall 
we  mourn  the  pierced  one  ?  Happiness  is  not  exclusive  of 
sorrow. 

194.  '  Trials  were  once  stumbling-blocks  ;  now  a  causeway 
to  heaven. 

195.  'I  am  my  own  night.  Christ  is  my  day.  When  I 
walk  in  the  day  (in  Christ),  I  stumble  not.  When  I  walk  in 
the  night  (in  self),  I  fall. 

196.  'I  ought  to  hate  sin ;  all  my  experiences  should  make 
me  hate  it ;  but  I  have  no  true  hatred  of  it,  but  what  I  get 
from  God.  I  seek  to  live  in  communion  with  Him  for  this, 
as  well  as  for  peace  and  joy. 

197.  'Work,  Lord,  in  and  by  and  around  me. 

198.  'Amazed  at  the  extent  of  human  depravity,  the  weight 
of  divine  wrath,  and  the  intensity  of  Satan's  malice. 


432  LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  MILNE. 

199.  '  Unbelief  cannot  sleep ;  nor  self-will ;  nor  love  of 
earthly  things.     God  gives  His  beloved  sleep. 

200.  '  No  thorns  on  the  rose  of  Sharon.' 

These  unstudied  fragments  may  fitly  close  the  life  of 
one  whose  mission  was  to  work  and  to  speak,  more  than  to 
write;  whose  ministerial  course  developed  an  originality, 
a  uniqueness,  such  as  makes  us,  now  that  he  is  gone,  ask, 
Who  shall  step  into  his  place,  or  do  that  peculiar  work 
which  he  did  so  well ? 1     'By  the  grace  of  God  he  was 

1  While  correcting  this  sheet  for  the  press,  a  letter  has  come  in, 
which  must  not  be  omitted.  It  comes  from  a  Free  Church  manse : 
— '  From  an  early  period  my  only  desire  as  to  a  profession  was 
that  I  might  be  permitted  to  serve  God  in  the  gospel  ministry ;  and 
I  do  not  remember  anything  which  led  me  to  think  of  even  recon- 
sidering that  choice  until  the  month  of  April  1853,  when  I  was  seven- 
teen years  of  age.  At  the  close  of  the  session  of  the  Edinburgh 
University  in  that  month,  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  receive  three 
prizes, — the  second  in  the  Senior  Greek,  the  first  in  Sir  William 
Hamilton's  Logic,  and  the  gold  medal  in  the  Natural  Philosophy ; 
and  on  the  day  on  which  I  brought  them  home  I  was  strongly 
tempted  to  abandon  the  purpose  of  preparing  for  the  ministry,  by 
the  thought  that  in  so  doing  I  must  forego  both  the  exclusive  pursuit 
of  studies  in  which  I  found  singular  enjoyment,  and  the  possible 
attainment  of  distinction,  which  I  coveted  with  ardent  ambition. 
After  spending  the  day  in  perplexity,  by  reason  of  the  conflict  be- 
tween newly  awakened  feelings  and  former  resolutions,  I  went  in  the 
evening  to  Free  St.  Luke's  Church  to  hear  Mr.  Milne,  who  was  then 
about  to  leave  for  Calcutta  in  a  few  days.  .  .  .  The  text  on  which  the 
discourse  was  based,  was  the  language  of  Saul  of  Tarsus  when  Jesus 
met  him  on  his  way  to  Damascus,  ' '  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me 
to  do?"  To  me  it  was  "a  word  in  season."  The  question  which 
had  agitated  my  mind  during  the  day  I  was  now  brought  to  consider 
in  the  right  frame  of  spirit,  submitting  the  decision  of  it  absolutely 
to  the  Lord ;  and  when  the  claims  of  Christ  on  the  service  of  His 
people,  the  necessities  of  perishing  sinners,  and  the  happiness  and 


LETTER  FROM  A  FREE  CHURCH  MANSE. 


what  he  was  j'  and  anxiously  do  we  look  for  another  to 
fill  up  the  blank.  His  life  would  take  up  large  room  in 
true  Church-history,  though  his  name  may  be  unnamed  in 
the  annals  of  a  world  which  chronicles,  not  the  harvests 
and  the  calms,  but  the  famines  and  the  convulsions  of 
earth. 

Yet  it  is  the  unsensational  that  is  the  effective  and  the 
abiding.  For  as  days  are  not  measured  by  the  number  of 
storms  or  rainbows,  but  by  the  still  hours  that  go  by  un- 
heeded; so  the  life  of  a  divine  workman,  quietly  busy 
at  his  immortal  work  from  hour  to  hour,  is  to  be  esti- 
mated, not  by  the  modern  rules  of  sensation,  and  show, 
and  bustle,  but  by  its  silent  activities,  and  their  everlast- 
ing, though  at  present  invisible,  results. 

honour  of  labouring  in  the  ministry  of  reconciliation,  were  set  forth 
with  a  fervour  and  eloquence  doubly  impressive  because  of  the 
circumstances  of  the  speaker,  so  soon  to  bid  farewell  to  his  native 
land,  I  felt  constrained  to  give  myself  anew  and  unreservedly  to  the 
Lord,  and  came  home  freed  from  every  doubt  as  to  the  path  of  duty, 
and  from  every  desire  to  do  otherwise  than  devote  my  life  to  the 
blessed  work  of  preaching  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  I  have 
seldom  read  or  heard  the  name  of  Mr.  Milne  since  that  time  without 
recalling,  more  or  less  vividly,  the  critical  occasion  on  which  his 
preaching  was  so  blessed  to  my  soul.' 


2  E 


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